The Net Tightens
by Freddo
Summary: The Fourth Act of the New Comet AU saga: in mid 2206, everyone's tensions go up as the Comet Empire continues to attack Earth and the space battleships Argo and Arizona are sent out to gather intelligence about the enemy. NOW CONCLUDED
1. Chapter 1

**ALTERNATE TALES OF THE STAR FORCE**

**STAR BLAZERS****---****THE NET TIGHTENS **

**Being the fourth part of **_**THE NEW COMET**_**--- BY: Frederick P. Kopetz**

* * *

This Act is being completed with the Cooperation and Assistance of Derek A.C. Wakefield (as usual)---_Freddo_

* * *

**ACT ONE: A CAPTURE AND REVELATIONS…**

* * *

**I. A STRATEGIC REVIEW**

**Planet Gamilon**

**The Imperial City of Gamilstadt**

**Desslok's Palace**

**Friday, February 28, 2206**

**1502 Hours: Earth Time**

* * *

Desslok's troops and civilians cheered the Leader's armored limousine with repeated chants of "Desslok, Desslok, DESSLOK!" as the Leader arrived back at his palace in the rebuilt city of Gamilstadt on the rebuilt planet of Gamilon. 

Gamilon, while no longer as geologically overactive as it had once been, was still something of a foreboding world. The continents and landmasses outnumbered oceans by about sixty-nine percent. The landmasses were now either covered with greenish, craggy stone, or with thick foliage from forests or from farmlands which covered the planet. The sky was greenish, and much of the land was covered with large cities that glittered brightly from deep space; these were the administrative centers, shipyards, military bases, and factories of the growing Gamilon-Galman Empire, which spanned worlds in both Magellenic Clouds and a few worlds in the Milky Way. Yet, even though the Empire was growing, its purpose now was ostensibly defensive, intended to defend the interests of Gamilon and her allies.

Even though war raged around the Empire, Desslok was more popular than ever as he saluted his people. In just a few years, thanks, partially to the events of the Rikasha Incident, Desslok had successfully rebuilt Gamilon, reunited the Race, found brothers of the Race in the domains of the former Galman Empire that Desslok had conquered after the partition and contraction of the Rikashan Star Empire. Desslok smiled to himself as he noticed a scattering of orange faces in the sea of blue and Caucasian faces of his people; some of the Rikashans, after the defeat of Zaden, had actually decided to voluntarily join the Gamilon cause when Lord Cha'rif had reconstituted what remained of the Rikashan Empire as the Rikashan Federation of Free Planets and granted his former subject worlds self-determination. Desslok found it a novel concept that, after free elections, nine Rikashan worlds had voluntarily petitioned Desslok for inclusion in the Empire. As long as they were loyal, Desslok didn't mind the influx of new blood and new resources into the Empire. One of these Rikashan worlds, D'Ervash, had just joined the Empire in the past month.

A military band playing "_The Gathering of the Fleet_" very loudly (and with lots of drums and _donner_) as Desslok and his guards strode from the staff car into the Palace. Desslok acknowledged the cheers with a quick salute, and then he walked past his saluting guardsmen into his General Staff Meeting Chamber.

As usual, Talan was the first to stand and salute Desslok as he entered, followed by the other Generals and Admirals of the General Staff.

"Leader Desslok, we have the latest reports from the border regions," said Talan as Desslok sat down upon his throne at the head of the table.

"And how is it going?" asked Desslok as he accepted some wine from a female guardsman and sipped at the goblet.

"The major commanders from the battlefronts are here with their reports, sir," said Talan. "First, there is Gedig of the Eastern Milky Way Command."

Desslok nodded as an aged General stood. "How goes it in the hinterlands?"

"Shortly after D'Ervash joined the Empire, Lord," said Gedig. "There were five organized attacks from the R'Khells as the transition from Rikashan to Gamilon stewardship took place. Luckily, the Rikashan Federation helped us in the suppression of planet-side dissent, and the former Rikashan Legate, Purvis, approved of our Provincial Governor's recommendation to ban the R'Khell/Josiahite heresy. Only a few thousand dissenters had to be killed, Lord. We had Rikashan aid, luckily, on both the planet surface and in space."

"Too bad they aren't just worshippers of Queen Guardiana," said Desslok. "That heresy, I can live with, so long as they don't keep us from doing what we have to in order to arm ourselves. R'Khell fanatics should be crushed by the harshest measures we can think of."

"Also, the Cometines launched a raid at Planet Negarda, sire," said Gerda.

"That far out? Why was I not informed?" snapped Desslok.

"Lord, at that time, you were at the battlefront yourself at Beta Nikaldis," said Gerda. "It was a small raid; just ten space submarines. And we lost only two destroyers."

"Have the Rikashan worlds been reinforced?"

"We are working on it."

"See to it," said Desslok.

Desslok nodded as Gedig sat down and General Fraken stood. "Fraken, Southern Milky Way Command, my Lord."

"My right arm, as of late," said Desslok with a smile. "How have things gone since we came home?"

"Cometine resistance in the Sirius area, the Terran regions, the Nikaldian Belt, and the Valentis and Arcturus Regions has been crushed for the time being thanks to our valiant forces and the aid of the Earthlings," said Fraken. "We do have reports of minor Josiahite resistance on Earth, but the Earth Federation authorities are confident that these annoyances can be forestalled soon. The Earth Defense Forces are continued their mobilization, and the _Argo_ and _Arizona_ are undergoing repairs and refit on Earth, Leader. The Federation reports to us that they are ready to face any further incursions, and that if they are allowed to build up forces over a few months, they should be able to stand with us when the great onslaught comes. They have also been aiding us by adding to the garrisons they have on Iscandar, Leader Desslok. Our Ambassador on Earth agrees with this assessment."

Fraken had nothing further to report. Next, a Garuman officer, General Keeling, of the Great Magellenic Outer Rim regions, stood to make his report.

"Our intelligence forces have discovered something quite disturbing as of late in the regions between the Great Magellenic Cloud and the Andromeda Galaxy, Leader Desslok. Those regions, as you know, were once your outer defensive shield in the days before the war with Earth and the incursions of the Star Force took place. Prince Zordar subsequently conquered them, but they fell into anarchy after Zordar's death. Princess Invidia has been trying to recapture these regions and establish a permanent foothold there to endanger our interests and those of Earth. Indeed, it is from these regions of space that the vessels that have been attacking Earth interests and our interests have come from. I would like to summarize, if I may, Zordar's conquests in these regions and the reconquests that have been taking place under Invidia. We also recently sent a similar report to Earth for presentation to the Earth President by our Ambassador."

Desslok nodded. An aide caused a computer screen to light up on the conference table with the following data in the Gamilon language:

**Known Major Comet Imperial conquests during the reign of Prince Zordar, House Gatlantis.**

**1. "Black Fox" (Dark) Nebula: conq. 3521.6 (2197 Terran) ("Conquest" by Alliance) Distance; 500,000 Lightyears Imperial Centre/Gamilon**

**2. Magna Star Cluster (Dervardius Cluster): conq. 3522.8 (2198 Terran) Distance; 412,000 Lightyears Imperial Centre/Gamilon**

**3 Planet Petronia System Region: conq. 3523.6 (2199 Terran) Distance; 298,000 Lightyears Imperial Centre/Gamilon**

**4 Planet Rotella System region: conq. 3524.2: (2200 Terran) Distance; 92,000 Lightyears Imperial Centre/Gamilon**

"A graphical representation of Invidia's reconquests follows," said Keeling as he lectured.

"As you can see, " said Keeling, "The Eritz Gatlantis has activated its Comet Field, and it is estimated to be 110,000 lightyears away from Gamilon at the moment, between the Petronia Cluster region, which they have recently reconquered, and the Rotella Cluster region, which they are working on reconquering. They have again secured what remains of the Dark Nebula and signed a new treaty with what remains of the Dark Nebulan Race, and the Magna Star Cluster has not only been reconquered but is also being equipped as a major garrison area, major concentration of shipyards, and major aggregate of enslaved worlds. They have more in slaves on the Magna Star Cluster alone than we have in the way of free Gamilons and allies amongst all of our worlds in the two Magellenic Clouds and in the Milky Way. That is not counting the resources they have remobilized in the ruins of the Black Nebula and in the Petronia region."

"How long do we have at the moment?" said Desslok.

"It should take Invidia several months to retake Rotella, since they are putting up a major resistance. Plus, if they reconquer it, it should be about a year before the region would be useful to them as a forward base. If we can somehow ally with the resistance and send them aid, and perhaps persuade Earth and Rikasha to also aid them, we might be able to forestall Invidia for another year, allowing us more time to build up our forces and solidify our own conquests in the Magellenic Regions and the Eastern and Western sectors of the Milky Way. I think the thrust of the war should be there, at Rotella."

"It's a risky strategy, Keeling," said Desslok. "But if we can hold them back, it will buy us time. We will begin to implement this strategy. See what sort of contacts you can make with the Rotellan underground through our agents, and offer our aid."

At that, Desslok relaxed a little. _There may be a way out of this yet…_ he thought. "Next report?"

* * *

**II. FLIGHT TRAINING CONTINUES**

**The Vicinity of Planet Earth**

**Spacecraft Carrier _Wasp_**

**Friday, March 7, 2206**

**0938 Hours: Earth Time**

* * *

After the holidays, Deke Wakefield didn't see very much of Sasha. 

The reason wasn't due to a conscious cooling of their relationship, but due to an increase in their duties.

Sasha was a Cadet Section Leader this semester in her dorm, which meant that she had a lot more to do in the way of paperwork and riding herd on her dorm deck as a cadet CO.

Deke, on the other hand, was still living in his BOQ quarters at the Academy, but he didn't see much of them. He was on active flight training with his Sun Tigers Group, both as an advanced student and as a section leader/ assistant training officer. He ran into Brew every now and then, but they were both very busy.

Deke and Brew and the others were learning active Fleet flight ops, largely on the go, in many different environments. They practiced landings at different bases on Earth so as to get accustomed to landing in different climactic conditions and in storms. Then, in February, they took off on the spacecraft carrier _Wasp_ to practice takeoffs from the carrier's deck and landings at different ports of call, like Moonbase, Mars, Saturn-Titan Space Station, Jupiter Station, Neptune, and Pluto.

Their training officers during this period were Bryan Hartcliffe…and (Deke liked this part) Jefferson Hardy, who was back at the Academy again. Although, of course, Brew (when he was chilling out one night with Deke in their cabin on the _Wasp_) said "If this is training, it's sure pretty realistic."

"Well, what do you think?" said Deke. "You've heard the scuttlebutt; they're building more ships, and there's been either a Cometine or R'Khell attack somewhere in the solar system every damn week now."

"It's just a sub or two, and we get it…"

"Some of the time," said Deke. "You know we've lost patrol ships, frigates, freighters, even a whole damn destroyer to those idiots. Heck, we were in a working Anti-Submarine Warfare drill again last week out near Uranus. Something's up."

"You hear from Sasha much?"

"She writes; I write. We haven't been home since Valentine's Day; and even though I know this is the life we'll be leading, I sort of can't wait to get back home…for a bit…"

"To look at Sasha's butt," teased Brew as he looked over at the new picture on Deke's desk; it was a picture of Sasha in her cheerleader's garb.

"No, to talk with her and find out how she's _doing_," said Deke angrily.

"Look at that honey pot," said Brew. "I bet that with all that honey, she's having to keep away lots of flies."

"She sure is," said Deke. "She told me that two guys hit on her last week, and she had to learn three new ways of saying 'no'."

"She's gonna have to say that a lot," said Brew.

"Definitely," said Deke. "Also, you notice Hardy's been doing more work lately…and delegating more of the routine training stuff to us? We're not seeing that much of Hartcliffe…"

"I heard Hardy ranking him out through a hatch the other day. He was reading that Brit the riot act about something, but…"

Suddenly, the ship's speakers blared.

"_Attention, all hands! The Sun Tigers Group are to report to the main hangar deck in ten minutes ready for flight ops,"_ said Hardy over the intership system. "_This is not a drill, and this is no BS! Report to the hangar deck at once!"_

"Forget the speculation," said Deke as he threw down his book.

"Damn, I need my pants on," said Brew.

"Yeah, that would help," said Deke as Brew pulled on his Standard Blues.

* * *

"Okay," said Hardy. "We're out of the solar system now; heading for Centaurus where we'll practice more flight ops," he said. The flight students nodded; some of their butts still hurt from yesterday's Line Crossing ceremonies in which they passed from Wogs to Shellbacks with all of the traditional hazing and humiliation administered to green officers and men who left the solar system for the first time. "We're doing some more landing ops tonight; you'll notice that there are no bases around here for hundreds of megameters. Where are we gonna land, then, people?" 

"In your hair, sir," said a wiseass pilot as a few people chuckled.

"Not funny," snapped Hardy. "See me later about that, Ensign Blankowitz! Okay, second try, geniuses. Where are we gonna land our Tigers tonight if there's no bases after we leave the ship?"

Wakefield raised his hand. "Back on the boat, sir. On the flight deck, to be precise," said Deke as butterflies flew in his stomach.

"Right. We trained all those weeks on different strips and in the simulator for this purpose. Tonight, we are putting our birds back down on the deck. That is why I told all of you to make sure your life insurance was in ohduh this mornin'! Sometimes we lose people in crashes doing this. Just wanna make damn sure yoah ready for this. Ready to go?"

"Yessir!" they all yelled as they snapped an EDF salute.

"Good. And bear in mind, we'll be doing this quite a BIT in the next couple of weeks."

* * *

A while later, Deke and Brew were in their Cosmo Tigers, flying about and doing routine maneuvers. They had taken off from the carrier deck without any glitches or irregularities. 

The landing, Deke knew, would be the really tough part.

After they were done with flying practice, Hardy said,"Okay, people, we're formin' up, and then we're gonna land! Follow me in!"

Deke took a deep breath, and he noticed that Brew was right in formation behind him; he was right behind Hardy. Hardy's Tiger flew in towards the _Wasp's_ flight deck and zoomed in for a landing that seemed effortless as Deke saw his plane slowed by the magnetic arresting field as he hit the deck.

Wakefield exhaled and then inhaled again as he worked his stick. The _Wasp's_ aft flight deck came up very quickly as he made sure he was focused on the center line as he kicked on his reverse thrusters, space brake, and made sure his landing gear was locked down. A second later, his wheels hit the deck with a loud bang and screech as the arresting field kicked in, working together with his thrusters to slow him down in a rapid kick that threw him against his flying harness. A second later, it was over as he throttled down and followed the spacesuited deckmaster's illuminated wands to turn left as he stopped at the elevator, which dropped him down below the deck as he saw Brew's Tiger taxing up into his place, with Brew having successfully landed just as he had.

A few minutes later, Hardy debriefed him; his landing was a possible 8.95 out of 10.00. He had a lot to learn, but, as Hardy told him, "Yuh just reached and made the hardest hurdle of bein' a space fighter pilot today, Wakefield. Congratulations! And mah first landin' on the _Argo_ wasn't as good as yours."

"What do you mean, sir?"

Hardy smiled and said, "They didn't grade mah first landing since I sorta crashed. You ask Wildstah sometime."

"Oh…when will I have the chance to do that?"

"Two weeks from now….when we practice on the _Argo_."

"The _Argo_?"

"Damn straight. You think this is the only ship yoah gonna have to land on? No way, Ensign. No way…"

Deke felt a little nauseated at that one…until he realized he had landed on the _Argo_ once before….

_And it was in combat, too_, he said to himself. _This might be easier than it looks, Wakefield…_

* * *

Two weeks later, on exactly March the 21st, Deke and Brew were again to make another landing…aboard the _Argo_. 

This time, they were holding manuevers out around Mars. The time was 0930 Hours.

The first landing that Deke and Brew made aboard the _Argo _was in the ship's lower flight bay. It was a routine mission; Deke and Brew had left the _Wasp_, with their seabag and Flight Gear bags carried in a pair of small compartments in their Tigers.

Deke's first landing on the Argo was relatively problem-free; it was in the lower hangar bay and it was graded a 9.01 out of 10.00. Wakefield was getting better at lining up with the aiming device (which was still, like in the sea-going navies of old, called the '_meatball_' and in manuevering his plane in for a landing. Brew was getting better at the game, as well, as he learned.

"Not bad," said Hardy as he clapped Wakefield and Marrable on their backs after they landed. "Shit, you might be qualifyin' for the Black Tigers, next, if you keep on landing aboard the ol' grey lady like that."

"Thanks for the compliment, sir," said Deke.

"Course, you know you gotta help out with lecturin' the troops around 1400," said Hardy with a grin.

"Yessir, I know that," said Deke.

"You and Marrable here were the only ones who got nines in today's landings, so, of course, you'll be imparting your wisdom and technique to them later, mah friends."

"Thanks," said Brew.

"In the meantime, we're takin' the tour," said Hardy with a smile. "First stop for you two is the First Bridge…"

* * *

Hardy wore Standard Blues, but was still greeted with nods and salutes as he rapidly went through the corridors of the _Argo_ with Ensigns Wakefield and Marrable in tow; Deke and Brew felt a little strange following him in Standard Blues, although one thing that Deke was conscious of as he saw a crewman or two in their navy blue peacoats was that he hadn't been issued a blue dress coat yet (and wouldn't be until graduation day a few weeks from now). Still, it looked as if Hardy belonged here. 

They went into a lift and then came out in a small foyer. Hardy paused before stepping into the hatch. And, then, he stopped as he noticed Wildstar and many of the others at attention before the large viewscreen.

There was a good reason that they were at attention; the Commander of the Earth Defense Forces was on the video panel, speaking to Wildstar as he said, "How strong were the signals you picked up, Wildstar?"

"Not terribly so,but they're at the edge of the solar system."

"You said they were Cometine?"

Deke and Brew glanced at each other as Hardy nodded grimly. "Homer and Nova confirmed it, sir. We're still working on a translation."

"Get that information to us as soon as possible," said Singleton. "It's _important_. It goes without saying that you might have a change of orders in the next twenty-four hours."

"Of course, sir," said Wildstar.

Wakefield then saw a young man in a yellow Star Force uniform with sandy hair coming to his feet. "Sir, I have to break the coding, first," said Homer Glitchmann. "When I have that done, Lieutenant Commander Wildstar will…"

Then, Wakefield saw another figure stepping away from her seat. She was also in gold and black, and quite recognizable in her form-fitting uniform and boots from the back. "Sir, I know what you're thinking," she said in her alto voice. "I can have the linguistic meaning up soon after the coding is broken. Cometine is harder to translate than Gamilon."

"So, the green guys…" whispered Brew.

Hardy gave him a look that could freeze stone. "You two are to give no sign you heard any of this," he said in a harsh whisper.

"Of course…sir," said Deke as he looked meaningfully at Brew and Hardy.

A moment later, the conversation ended. Hardy led the way, saluting as he greeted the rest of the Star Force officers on the First Bridge.

Deke had to take a deep breath before he realized that he was actually looking at and was on the very same space battleship bridge where so much history had been made over the past few years. It looked smaller than the bridge on the _Wasp_, but it had a somewhat more well-worn look to it. To Wakefield, the smells of hot circuitry, canned air, and the lingering smells of hot oil in the ship's older systems and hot coffee coming from a mug or two sitting near some of the officers' stations made him more aware than ever that he was aboard a ship that was really still an old naval vessel at heart.

At that moment, Wildstar turned around. "Ah, Hardy.I see you've brought our resident geniuses aboard," he said.

"I sure did," said Hardy as Deke and Brew felt quite abashed at knowing they were the center of attention of all of the veterans on the _Argo's_ bridge. "You guys wanna introduce yourselves?"

Homer was the first one to nod. He shook their hands and said, "Senior Lieutenant Homer Glitchmann, Communications Group Leader."

Then, the Artillery Officer stood, extending his hand, "Lieutenant Pavel Kumyat, Artillery Section Leader."

Another man in red and white turned to them; they noticed he looked quite young. "Senior Lieutenant Ryusuke Domon, Combat Group Leader."

A man in white and green then introduced himself, "Senior Lieutenant Tetsu Kitano, Navigation Group Leader."

As Wakefield shook his hand, he was greeted by a chubby man in green and white, "Lieutenant Chris Eager, Assistant Pilot."

Then, a heavyset man with brown hair in a white and orange uniform introduced himself. "Lieutenant Commander Joe Yamazaki, Engineering Chief."

As Deke had his hand shaken, he smiled and then turned to a smiling feminine face he already knew well. "Lieutenant Commander Nova Wildstar, Radar and Analysis, and Living Group Leader."

"Of course, ma'am," said Brew as he shook her hand.

Then, Deke found himself being confronted by a figure in blue and white who was far taller than Nova…or anyone else there. He gulped a little as he realized he was meeting the famous Stephen Sandor for the first time, even as Sandor introduced himself as, "Commander Stephen Sandor, Ph.D., Mechanical Group Leader and First Officer."

"Thank you, sir," said Wakefield and Marrable as they finally turned to face a somewhat shorter figure in a rumpled red and white uniform with a mop of unruly dark-brown hair. "Commodore Derek Wildstar…commander of this vessel and of the First Star Force. We've already met, gentlemen."

Both of them nodded. Then, as an afterthought, a little red robot popped up out of the Analysis seat next to Domon's station. "I'm IQ-9," he said. "I'm a genius robot, smarter than anyone here, Nova included."

"Oh, great," said Deke. "Not another one of _those_."

"What?" said Brew.

"Ninth class analysis robots," said Deke. "One of them used to follow an old girlfriend of mine around, _all the time_."

"Whoever she is, I can sympathize with her already," said Nova as she rolled up her eyes and skipped away from IQ-9. "Would you stop that? I know _damn_ well where you want to put that hand!"

Then, Wildstar said, "Hardy, how were their first official landings aboard ship?"

"Both nines, sir," said Hardy.

"Not bad," said Wildstar as he cracked a slight smile as Nova slapped IQ-9 over the head with a rolled-up spare issue of _Janes' Naval Aerospace Magazine_ from her post. "Of course, if things go as I think they will….well….it is a possibility that your landings today and tomorrow will not be your last landings aboard this ship. Sandor, you have the conn. Nova, let's get some early lunch until Homer gets his job done. Then it'll be your turn at the computer."

"Derek, I'm supposed to give all of them a tour at 1145."

"You still can. Just as long as you remember we need those translations," said Derek.

"You can meet us down below in the messhall," said Nova. "I'll be waiting there at 1145 for your group."

At that, Deke nodded."Thanks, ma'am."

"Watch out for the robot, ma'am," said Brew with a wink.

"_Don't_ encourage him, Ensign," snapped Nova.

* * *

Later on that morning, Wakefield and Brew settled into their quarters on the _Argo_; they would be aboard ship for about a day or so, so Nova had assigned them and the others cabins after they had been through their tour. 

"What are you so paranoid about, Dekesticks?" asked Brew as he began to post pictures of ladies' behinds on the bulkheads with some tape.

"My bag," said Wakefield. "I've had this crap for years, and I'd hate to lose it."

"What's in that damn old B-4 bag that's so important?" said Brew.

"Just DJ and her magazines, for a start," he said as he pulled out his old weapon, while snapping it open and closed. He transferred DJ and the magazines to his seabag while he went through the rest of his stuff. "Putting the picture of Sasha in here…checking the other things…"

"Like?"

"My sticks, my surfboard wax, picture of Dawn," he said in a morose voice.

"Oh…," said Brew, not wanting to start that discussion up again. "What else?"

"Socks, first-aid kit, meds, radio, handi-talkie, flashlight, compass, Army knife, Leatherman-type multi-tool, second pair o' drumsticks, blanket, poncho, spare flight helmet, spare power supply, belt, matches, water packs, binoculars, caffiene tabs, the usual crap…"

"Got the same crap in mine, minus the sticks and picture of Dawn…."

Then, the PA system went off. It was Hardy's voice. "All Sun Tigers, assemble in the lower hangar bay in ten minutes at 1500 Hours. Repeat, all Sun Tigers, assemble in the lower hangar bay, ten minutes, 1500…"

"Wonder what's up?" said Wakefield.

"Damned if I know," said Brew.

* * *

When they got below, they were a bit shocked to see Hardy standing there…in a Black Tiger uniform. 

"Sir?" said another pilot."Is this old home week?"

"Shut the hell up, ah've been reassigned," snapped Hardy. "Wakefield, I've been just reassigned to this vessel….effective at once. I'm in command of the whole workin' Flight Group, which you are a part of until 0600 Hours tomorrow morning. Until then, Mister Wakefield, you're actin' squadron leader until you get back to the _Wasp _and relinquish back command to Mistuh Hartcliffe. Got that?"

"Yessir," said Wakefield.

"Good. At 1600, we will practice landings in both upper hangar bays, port and starboard. We will do this together…mah squadron and yours. Then, we'll all debrief together at 1700, and then, gentlemen, we'll warp. Don't worry, the _Wasp_ will be followin' us. You will then act as FORCAP for a shift startin' at 2100 Hours and goin' six hours. Get used to it, people…it's life in the Fleet. People are dependin' on you. Got that?"

"Yessir!" yelled the pilots, young officers and midshipmen alike.

* * *

They debriefed later on that day, at 1700. "Okay," said Wakefield as Hardy briefed them. "Those landings in those upper tubes were tough, but, sir…" 

"That wasn't the most important thing we did today," said Hardy. "The most important thing was that intercept that Miss Franklin picked up in Second Squadron of Black Tigers. Miss Franklin, report."

A young Ensign assigned to the Black Tigers who was one year ahead of them at school said, "Sir, I spotted a radar signature at RXB-156, speed, twenty-two space knots, on an intercept course towards our task force. It was radiating multi-spectrum cosmo radar waves."

"Did you get a visual on it?"

Franklin nodded. "I did, sir. Visual on main screen now."

Wakefield immediately gritted his teeth when he saw the image.

"Who wants to identify that?" said Hardy. A hand went up from Wakefield's group. It was a midshipman.

"Sir, it's the green dickheads. Flying a Type 25 Recon Scorpion, to be exact."

"Miss Franklin, what did the bogie do when he spotted your flight?"

"He ran, sir. But chances are, he'll be back."

Hardy nodded. "That's why I've been reassigned. Signals were picked up and translated earlier today. A Cometine Squadron is operating out near the edge of the solar system, around the Brumus Asteroid Belt. Wildstar thinks they're up to no good, and I agree with him. Make sure your lasers and weapons are working tonight when you fly patrol. You may need them, people. That's all for now. Get ready for a warp to Jupiter. Dismissed."

* * *

**III. REPORTS**

**The _Eritz Gatlantis_**

**Petronia Cluster Region**

**About 250,000 Lightyears Away From Earth**

**Friday, March 21, 2206**

**2200 Hours: Earth Time**

* * *

"So what do you have to report, General Dalkon?" snapped Princess Invidia as she looked down haughtily from her dais in one of her new Comet ship's throne rooms upon a screen. A Cometine officer was reporting on that screen. 

"While we were performing reconnaissance out near Centaurus, Princess, my fleet picked up some signals, so we warped. We have found the _Argo_, Princess. I now have a Task Group near the edge of their solar system and beg leave to attack the _Argo_. I am sure they are investigating my signals."

"Permission denied, for now."

"Denied?"

"Observe them, only. Maybe harass them somewhat," said Invidia. "But I need you near Rotella. They have a fleet that they are preparing, and I want you to help Marshal Balkal in attacking that fleet. I want them broken. For now, Rotella is more important than the Star Force."

"Understood," said Dalkon with a harsh nod. _But no one says I have to like this_, he thought.

"You have your orders," said Invidia. "See to it they are carried out. I expect to hear your intelligence tomorrow morning."

"Of course, Princess…"

At that, Dalkon cut off the transmission.

"We shall do our best…within the limits you have set for us," muttered Dalkon as he whipped a glass across the bridge of his command carrier. "Again, Invidia, no one said I had to fancy your orders. Just obey them."

* * *

Deke Wakefield was on patrol, listening to surf music at low volume as he flew along with Brew as one wingman and a midshipman pilot named Tolland flying as his other wingman. They had a nice view of Jupiter as they flew along in formation. 

"So what have we spotted in four hours?" he said over the circuit to Brew.

"Five asteroids, one piece of Gamilon wreckage, two space rocks, and a partridge in a pear tree," said Brew with a laugh.

"The partridge was deep-frozen, sir," said Tolland.

"I've got a bogie on my scope," said Brew.

"Location?" snapped Wakefield, who was all business now.

"RXC-152, speed eighteen space knots and slowing; she's just five megameters away….not a natural object."

"Okay, crew," said Deke as he headed off towards the bogie. "Let's check it out…"

They found a black Cometine Scorpion boat that was smoking slightly. It seemed to be dead in space.

"Okay," said Wakefield after he and the others flew around the enemy boat a few times. "What do we do with it?"

"Let's take it in; see if anyone's alive in that thing…"

"All right," said Wakefield. "Prepare capture cables on my mark…."

They readied cables. A moment later, the three Tigers locked on and took the boat. With the enemy ship captured, they towed her back to the _Argo._

* * *

Deke, Brew, and Tolland waited as the ship was secured to the _Argo_ a while later. A spacesuit-clad group consisting of Sandor, Hemsford and four other Space Marines, Dr. Sane, Nova and another spacesuit-clad nurse checked out the alien ship. 

The first thing that Wakefield saw was Nova and IQ-9 hustling along a sealed litter with an armored figure in it. Nova stopped to catch her breath while the others took a look.

Wakefield was a bit shocked to see that the enemy pilot (who had been stripped of a helmet beneath the coccoon) was female! But, otherwise, the pilot was green, with dark green hair.

Wakefield said to Nova "A woman?"

Nova said, "Yes. What does she look like?"

"You're gonna interrogate her?"

"No…autopsy," said Nova. "We're not sure how, but it looks as if she and the rest of her crew committed suicide somehow when they detected your Tigers. I don't think they wanted to be captured alive. Luckily, Sandor is going over the boat for intelligence. They didn't succeed in blowing the computers."

At that, Nova and IQ continued to hustle the Cometine corpse on towards Sickbay.

* * *

Deke was ordered to get some sleep. However, he heard someone banging at his hatch at about 0400 the next morning. He got up first and found Hardy at the hatch. 

"Sir?" he said in a sleep-filled voice.

"You and Mister Marrable are wanted at a briefing. They've been up all night studying the ship and her crew. They want you there to discuss how you captured them."

"Got it," said Wakefield. "Brew, wake up! They want us!"

"Uhhh…that's cool…any gals with big butts present? Or do they have any brew?"

"They have lots of coffee, Mistuh," said Hardy. "Now, up!"

* * *

They got up to a conference room in the _Argo's_ bridge tower around 0420. When they were there, they found Commodore Wildstar up nursing a huge mug of coffee at the head of the table, with Doctor Sane in a bloody set of Medical scrubs to one side and Sandor in a greasy uniform to the other side. Nova and the other nurse sat there in stained nurses' tunics and clogs near Sane, and two other Mechanical Officers sat at the table looking at a collection of greasy parts and computer boards and disks, probably stripped from the alien ship. At the moment, Nova was speaking; Deke noticed she seemed to have some light circles under her eyes as she said, "My autopsy of the pilot detected that she seems to have killed herself with a quick-acting form of poison from a syringe built into her flight armor." 

"You'd guess that since it seems that when we captured that pilot in 2201 that they didn't seem to want him back in their Fleet…?" said Derek.

"Yes. It's our guess this is a new doctrine the Cometines developed in case of capture. I guess they think it's better to kill themselves than to be taken alive," said Doctor Sane.

"Sandor, did yiou pick up anything from the ship?"

"They destroyed a lot of their systems," said Sandor. "But, they recently received communications that their business near Earth was currently not as important as the invasion of a world known as Rotella…"

"I wonder where that is," said Commodore Wildstar. Then, a moment later, he noticed Wakefield and Marrable. "Ah! Hadn't noticed you two…sorry. Mister Wakefield, would you mind telling me about how you and Mister Marrable captured this boat?"

* * *

Later, after Deke and Brew had retold their story, they were up having their breakfast at 0600 on what was now Saturday, March 22, 2206. Hardy came down, and he seemed to be in a rush. 

"Glad to see you, Wakefield. Have everyone get yoah gear. You're supposed to return to the _Wasp_ by 0700."

"Sir, I thought we were going to do some more…"

"The Captain's new ohduhs have just caused a change in plans. The _Argo_ is headin' outta here as soon as you guys are gone in ohduh to take on another mission."

"We were at the briefing, sir," said Brew. "Is it about the enemy?"

"Can't say, but I'll bet you two can guess," said Hardy. "We'd love to have you aboard, but ohduhs are ohduhs. Remember, almost half yoah squadron is still midshipmen. But the way this war is going, you'll probably get yoah shot soon as you graduate."

"Yessir," said Deke. "C'mon, Brew, let's fionish breakfast. Then we'll have to brief the others…"

"Yeah…"

At 0655, Deke was in his plane, flying back to the _Wasp_ along with the rest of the Sun Tigers. Soon after landing, he and the others watched the _Argo_ through a viewport. It seemed as soon as the last Sun Tiger was checked in on the _Wasp_, the _Argo_ turned about on a heading right out of the solar system. Then, the space battleship abruptly roared off at what seemed to be full speed ahead.

"Well, they're gone," said Brew a moment later. "Let's get our planes unpacked."

"Yeah," said Deke, who was disappointed at being "beached" aboard the _Wasp_. Deke opened a compartment on his plane and got his seabag, but he could _not_ find his gear bag.

"Brew?" he said.

"Yeah?"

"Is my B-4 bag in your plane?"

"Hell no, Dekesticks. I could smell that thing from a mile away…"

"It's not in my bird," said Deke. His stomach dropped. "In the rush to get back here, I think I left it on the damn _Argo_!"

"You'll get it back at some point…"

"Probably not," said Deke as he kicked the landing gear of his plane. "It had my picture of Dawn in it…and my old white sticks. I have my picture of Sasha…and…"

"And what?"

"I wonder if this is an omen of some kind…like…'forget Dawn?'"

"Could be, Deke," said Brew. "Could be…"

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	2. Chapter 2

**ALTERNATE TALES OF THE STAR FORCE**

**STAR BLAZERS****---****THE NET TIGHTENS **

**Being the fourth part of **_**THE NEW COMET**_**--- BY: Frederick P. Kopetz**

* * *

This Act is being completed with the Cooperation and Assistance of Derek A.C. Wakefield (as usual)---_Freddo_

* * *

**ACT TWO: GRADUATION DAY…**

* * *

**I. CEREMONIES**

**Planet Earth**

**The Space Fighters' Training School**

**Memorial Field**

**Sunday, May 18, 2206**

**1300 Hours: Earth Time**

* * *

Ensign Deke Wakefield stood at attention along with the rest of the outgoing Class of 2206 as the Commander of the Earth Defense Forces himself gave their commencement speech. 

Deke, like all of the others, had been issued his blue and red officer's peacoat that morning, and,like all of the others, he wore it over his Stanadrd Blues rather than over his red and white cadet uniform, which he and the other soon-to-be graduates had doffed. The reason why the Class of 2206 already wore officers' clothing was because at midnight, all of them would be integrated right into the Fleet itself. After all, it _was_ wartime.

Not far away from Wakefield stood Marrable. Deke already knew that the Sun Tigers were being graduated as a squadron under Cory Conroy's command. The one thing that no one (including Hartcliffe) knew was where the fighter squadron would be assigned. They would be given their orders right after graduation.

_It would have been nice,_ thought Deke as the long speech continued, _If Dawn would have shown up…just to say goodbye to me as I graduate. She should be graduating from Pan-Am sometime this month, and it'd be nice to at least part as friends. Too bad Lynn isn't here, either…she's been like a mother to me all these years. I wish I could see Sasha from here,_ he thought as he looked at a crowd of underclassmen at about the point he guessed Sasha was standing at in the vast formation. _It would be damn nice if I could talk to Sasha again before we ship out…and let her know that I'll keep on writing._

Finally, the speech came to its long-awaited end. The new Ensigns saluted the Commander, and then, one by one, they were called up onto the stage to receive their diplomas.

Brew was called some time before Deke was; Deke felt a little annoyed that his own name was near the end of the alphabet when he saw Brew coming off the stage with a big smile as he carried a rolled-up piece of paper in one hand and a small box in the other.

When Deke's name was called, Deke strode forward, hearing a great deal of applause as he accepted his diploma from the Commandant and then accepted his formal rank pin from the Commander, who also handed him a letter.

"Sir?" he said as he saluted.

"Read the letter after you're done, Ensign," said Singleton with a slight grin."No, it's nothing bad…just a parting gift from me. Good luck in the Fleet, son."

"Thank you, sir," said Deke as he snapped the Commander his parting salute.

Deke came down, nodded to Brew (who was having his rank pin pinned to the collar of his peacoat by a woman that he knew as his Aunt Clarisse), and then, he stood stock-still as he felt a light tap on his shoulder.

Deke turned, and he saluted again when he recognized Commodore Wildstar standing there in his black peacoat and red-and-white Star Force uniform. Beside him stood Nova in a very pretty yellow and white sundress (which had a cute overall-style top that showed off her shoulders and back) with a white hat, sandals and mesh gloves. Beside _her_ stood Lynn Westland…Dawn's mother, who was dressed in a similar outfit, but in light green.

"Ma'am?" said Deke to Nova.

"Ma'am?" said Lynn softly as she smiled at Deke."You've never called me that before."

"Uh…I was talking to Lieutenant Commander Wildstar, Lynn…I…"

"You call her by her first name?" said Nova with a slightly raised eyebrow under the brim of her white spring hat. "That's…different…"

"I've practically raised him, Mrs. Wildstar….especially after his parents died. I'm sorry, Deke…Dawn's tied up. She wanted me to tell you that."

"I see," said Deke as he quietly dropped his eyes.

"What's wrong?" said Nova.

"Nothing."

"Well, we can discuss that at a later time," said Nova as she surprised Deke by gently tapping him under the chin. "Chin up, Ensign. Today's the day you worked towards for a couple of years. At any rate, Lynn and I have been talking about you a little bit. Lynn's a very interesting lady."

"The same goes for the famous Commander Wildstar and the Commodore," said Lynn. "It'd be interesting for you to tell me how all of you met, Deke."

"I'll do that sometime, Lynn," said Deke. "Why are you holding a camera?"

"To take your picture," said Lynn brightly.

"Oh," said Deke in a low voice. "Lynn, I thought you were…uh..going to pin my anchor to my collar," he said. As Deke could see all around him, it was traditional for a graduating male Ensign to have a close female relative (like a mother, sister, or aunt) or significant other (like a girlfriend, fiancee', or spouse) pin the large anchor of rank to the new Ensign's peacoat.

"No," said Nova. "That's because Lynn and a dear friend of mine asked me to do it. Bear in mind, Deke, I've only done this before for one other person…and when I did it for him, it was a little bit late…but it was when we got to Iscandar for the first time," she said as she smiled at Derek. "And I only plan to do this for my son when I have him someday and he stands here to graduate," Nova added as she took the anchor in its box from Deke.

Deke gulped a little as he felt Nova adjusting his high collar while Lynn stood back. Then, Nova opened the box and took out the burnished anchor pin. A moment later, she carefully pinned it into Deke's collar as Deke noticed Commodore Wildstar also taking a picture along with Lynn. Then, he really blushed as Nova gave him a hug, followed by a quick kiss on the cheek. Then, she whispered into his ear, "Deke…that last bit of good luck was from me…and from Sasha."

Flushing with pride and embarrassment, Deke popped Nova a salute as she turned to put a protective arm around Derek. "Thanks, ma'am…"

"Anytime, " replied Nova right before she stood up on tiptoe in her heels to kiss Derek. Lynn snapped another picture of the famous couple, who stood blushing as they looked at her.

"I remember how much I loved my husband," said Lynn softly. "Before the war took him, that is…"

"Yeah," said Deke.

"You look very handsome in that uniform," said Lynn as she smiled at Deke. "You've really grown up, Deke. Why haven't you come by more often?"

Deke wasn't sure how to answer Lynn. He finally said, "Work, school….and, you know…"

"Deke," said Lynn as she mussed Deke's hair affectionately. "Aside from anything that happened with Dawn…damnit, I practically helped your mother _raise_ you! How many times did I babysit you when you were little…change your diapers…help potty-train you…you know how close our families have always been ever since we were neighbors at the Rio Amarillo apartment complex in San Diego. I…even nursed you once or twice, Deke…yes, you and Dawn were both suckling me at once together right before you were weaned, you know that?"

At that, Deke blushed, until Nova said, "Lynn…if I can call you that…that's not weird. My mother and father had twins just a few years ago, and _I_ helped my mother nurse my brother and sister a little when they were born…mom had trouble with her milk…so, I took a hormone shot to help her…I lived in San Diego with my dad for a few weeks, too…when he was on a legal case there, and…"

"My God," said Lynn as she remembered."Were _you_ that cute eight-year old who was bouncing that volleyball all around the apartments' front yard all summer?"

"Yes," said Nova with a nod. She smiled, and Derek held her hand, noticing that she was blushing a little. Lynn said, "That sounds very sweet, uh…Lieutenant Commander…"

"You can just call me Nova," said Nova as she blushed right down to her toes. "I don't stand much on formality…except where you have to, in the military, that is…"

_This is damn interesting_, thought Deke. _Hell, Nova probably saw what I looked like as a baby…_

"You know, I think I played with you in the sandbox, once, Deke," said Nova.

"When was that?" said Deke.

"When you…uh…wet all over me," said Nova with a giggle.

"Okay," said Wildstar. "You knew _him_ as a baby, too? Aside from knowing Brew, you knew him, too? Oh, _Kamisama_, this is weird!"

"I think I did," said Nova with a shrug. "I can't be one hundred percent sure. How much of being eight do you remember one hundred percent of, Derek?"

"Man, this is weird," said Brew. "She knew you as a rugrat, too, Dekesticks! Along with me! Was she your first squirrel?"

"Hell no, Dawn was!" barked Deke.

"What the _heck_ are they talking about?" whispered Commodore Wildstar to Lynn.

"Old home week," said Lynn with a wistful smile.

At that, IQ-9 zipped up behind Nova. "Nova, I know where _you_ like to stand!"

"Where?" barked Nova at the robot in anger as Lynn suddenly giggled.

"You like to stand on your toes when I do this!" burbled IQ-9.

Then, Nova looked down.

Of course, her short skirt was up…revealing a tanned figure and _very_ brief bikini panties in a floral pattern. Nova stood up on her toes and shoved down the skirt, even as Lynn tried to move back.

"Don't!" barked Nova. "He's like a cat! He'll attack _anything in a skirt that moves_!"

Lynn froze, and she said to IQ-9,"Who and what in Sam Hill are you?"

"I'm IQ-9, genius robot and member of the Star Force. Sorry, I'm not interested in you, you're too _old_!"

"Well, I _never…!_" said Lynn as she put her nose up in the air.

"He's more eccentric than any of us," said a little fireplug of a man as he appeared carrying his usual bottle.

"Doctor Sane, would you help me call off the _Tinwit_?" cried Nova as she danced around the little robot while all of the men (even Derek) watched with some amusement.

"Why should I?" said Doctor Sane. "Wildstar, doesn't she look adorable dancing in that dress?"

"No comment," said Derek in a quick (and diplomatic) fashion as he said,"IQ! _Cut the crap_!"

"OK, that's enough! The Commodore says to cut the crap!" burbled IQ. "I repeat, he says _cut the crap_!"

"IQ, why don't you cut it out?" snapped Nova.

"Nova, why don't you take a &ing leap off a bloody #$&#&ing short pier?"

"WHAT WAS THAT?" snapped Lynn.

"He's like a four-year old…he just learned to curse," said Nova. "IQ-9, if you don't stop it, I'll never look at you again!"

"Never?"

"Never-_ever_," said Nova. "And apologize to all the women here, starting with me, for having a rotten little mouth like that!"

IQ-9 saw Nova's wrathful face, and then he finally said, "I'm very sorry."

"Thank you," snapped Nova as she tapped one of her high-heeled sandals against the pavement near the stands. "Now, we have other things to do."

"Such as?" said Derek as he smiled at his wife.

"Such as punching you for looking when IQ was up to his games," snapped Nova as she gave her husband a light punch.

"Ouch!" cried Derek.

"As for the rest," she whispered in his ear. "We'll see later..."

"Okay," said Commodore Wildstar as Lynn took a few more pictures of Deke and left.

Finally, Deke turned to Nova and said, "Seeing her is nice…"

"That's good," said Nova.

"And depressing, too," Deke said.

"Why?" replied Nova.

"We'll…uh..talk sometime," said Wakefield.

"Which will be soon," Nova said, as she turned to Derek. "We'll talk to them later, Derek. Right now, we need some quality time. _You_ know why."

Wildsdtar turned very serious as he said, "Do I ever. We'll see you later, gentlemen."

Deke and Brew saluted the Wildstars, who returned the salutes and left.

* * *

Some time passed. Deke and Brew were speaking in a very desultory fashion as Brew's uncle and aunt showed up. Finally, Brew made his leave of Deke, leaving the pilot alone. Wakefield sighed to himself as he looked at the happy families….cadets were being thanked, toasted, and saluted everywhere he looked…one was even being introduced to a younger cousin under a tree (the younger cousin was at a blushing mother's breast in the shade, but dad inrtroduced the new officer to his cousin, irregardless of what a less-than fully decent Mom thought then.) 

"Everyone's got a _family_," said Deke in a bitter and wistful tone as he sat down by himself to watch life pass him by. A minute later, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He started and turned.

"I hope I don't look _that _scary!" said a young female voice as a pair of brown eyes stared down at Deke.

"Oh, hi, Sasha," said Deke in a low voice.

"Hi, Sasha?" said Sasha with her hands on her hips."I was watching your handsome stance over rows and rows of cadets before and that's the greeting I get? Excuse me while I talk to this _tree_…it's better company than you at the moment!"

"Sasha?" said Deke. "Wait."

"Hi, oak tree," said Sasha. "You're more interesting right now than my boyfriend."

"BOYFRIEND?" said Deke.

"Yes, boyfriend," said Sasha. "I can't hold it back, you dopey tree. He's my boyfriend but sometimes he acts so dorky that even you seem animated by comparison. Got anything to say about that?"

Sasha stood in silence looking at the tree with a grin while Deke stood open-mouthed. "Sasha…uh..trees don't talk."

"How do you know that?" said Sasha brightly. "Seriously..I wanted to let you know something of how I felt before I left for training and you left for your first assignment. This war will get worse, Deke. I feel it in my bones…in the air…everywhere. Deke, this war is more horrid every day. And it is getting worse."

"How do you know? Sasha?"

Sasha began to shiver as, to the south, she felt….a strange _presence_.

That was the best way she could describe it.

Not that far away, near a light tower, a figure in fatigues wearing Corporal's stripes stood holding a weird, whispered conversation with himself.

"If that's Wakefield," said one low voice, "I want him dead now. Or, I, Stovall, want 'im dead!"

"No, not now," said another deeper and slower whisper as the figure stood alone near a hilltop. "Trust me. I know that it would raise suspicion. I have not lived for almost three thousand years for naught."

"He should die now."

"Patience, apprentice," said the essence of the Dark Lord in a near-silence. "Do you see that plane above us flying a victory loop?"

"Yes…"

"That is a classmate of his…or….rather…it _was_" said the Dark One as he raised a hand. "Watch…"

The plane exploded in mid-air. There were many screams.

"Oh my GOD!" someone yelled. "That was Ensign Comly!"

"How did his plane blow up?"

"I don't know!"

"There's debris!"

"Oh, God, there's _dead children here_!" screamed an onlooker near a growing plume of black smoke. Wakefield saw it and turned white as Sasha began to weep. Quietly, ever so quietly, he held her. She kissed him, and he kissed back, just as natural as one could please, before they ran off together to see if they could help.

"You note," said the Dark Lord Ekogaru quietly. "You note that WAS Wakefield's classmate. And our work here is done. Let us leave this place, Stovall. If I am the Vine of Corruption, then I believe you see the branches?"

"What did it do?" whispered Stovall. "To Wakefield, I mean…?"

"It upset him," said Ekogaru in a near-silence. He gritted his teeth and then said to an onlooker in Stovall's normal voice, "That looks _bad_! Do they need help, sir? I have medic training."

"No, they've got people there already," said the new Ensign. "But thanks, Corporal."

But even as the Corporal left, something creeped out Ensign Vandemar, another member of the Sun Tigers.

He decided he'd discuss it with his friends later. Something looked familiar about that creepy-looking Corporal, but he had no idea what it was.

* * *

**II. THE CUP OF PARTING**

**Planet Earth**

**Derek and Nova Wildstar's Residence**

**Sunday, May 18, 2206**

**1805 Hours: Earth Time**

* * *

Later on that day, when they were home, Nova and Derek were lying together on a large beach towel in the grass near their pool behind the trees and bushes at their house. The trees and bushes now had thick spring foilage, which was a good thing, since the two lovers wore absolutely nothing at all as they cuddled together in the sun. They had just made love, and they were pleasantly sleepy. 

But they knew they couldn't sleep. Not today. Not with that accident which had happened (which they suspected was not an accident) and not not the news that had come in later that the Comet Empire had just torpedoed and destroyed another Earth freighter near Neptune..

"Just a few more hours," said Derek, "And we won't see each other again…for a whole year. The _Argo_ will be taking me to one place…all because of this damned war…"

"And the _Arizona_ will be taking me to another," said Nova in a soft but sad voice. "All because they want Aliscea Rosstowski trained as a Living Group Leader and nurse for these missions, for this long war, and they want me there to to do it."

"I don't know if I'll be liking the Living Group Leader I'll be getting for the _Argo_," said Derek.

"I know Lieutenant Victoria Becker…promise me you'll at least be nice to her," said Nova.

"I will be…but not as nice as I am to you," he said as he kissed his wife.

"I hope not," giggled Nova. Then, she laughed as her husband climbed up on top of her, tickled her, and then began kissing her naked breasts.

"I take it that means you want to go again?" said Nova.

Commodore Wildstar just growled and kissed his wife's neck. She laughed as she opened her arms to him. They were both ready from the last time, so it wasn't long until their bodies hungrily joined for a second time. When they had finished and were showering one another with kisses, Nova said, "Why don't I get my heels on and let you take some pictures on me?"

"Won't you have to dress and shower for those?"

Nova playfully hit her husband. "No, silly. I want to pose nude for you. So you have something of me to remember me by since we'll be apart for a year?"

"Yeah…" said Wildstar as he looked his wife's body over from head to toe. "That would be…nice…"

"I thought you'd like that," replied Nova. "Get your robe on and get your camera while I check my nail polish and get my shoes on."

Derek threw on his kimono and threw his wife a kiss as she ran into the cabana.

* * *

A few minutes later, he was taking some gorgeous pictures of his wife, who wore nothing but her sandals for the shots. Nova lay in the grass, sat up, stood, threw back her head, and looked to Commodore Wildstar far better than any sleazy centerfold model…because she was actually smiling at him while posing for him. When he had enough pictures, Nova took the camera from him and wrestled his yuutaka off. 

"Hey!" yelled Derek.

Nova laughed. "Now, you…"

"Me?"

"I want something to remember of YOU on this deployment, big boy. Lie down and behave!"

Derek laughed as he posed for his wife, who took shot after shot of _him_. Then, they began to snuggle again.

"I can't believe I won't see you for a whole year after tonight," said Nova as she began to quietly weep. "I don't know if I can take it…."

Tears ran down Derek's cheeks as he said, "The same goes for me, Nova."

"Derek?"

"Yes?"

"Wouldn't it be funny if I ended up pregnant now? After all that trying…I mean….wouldn't it be…?"

"I don't want you have our child alone, without me there," said Commodore Wildstar.

"But…what if?"

"I don't know," said Wildstar. "Nova, I don't know…"

At that, they embraced again, and then just began to cry in each other's arms…they cried because of all of the hopes and dreams that they had been sharing…the hope that they could settle down, slow down a bit, have a family…that hope, again, seemed to be deferred…again..all because of another war…a war that was going on for longer than they had hoped…or wanted.

* * *

**III. DEPARTURE**

**Planet Earth**

**Space Battleship _Arizona_**

**Sunday, May 18, 2206**

**2200 Hours: Earth Time**

* * *

Finally, the _Arizona_'_s_ crew was gathered at her dockyard berth. Deke and Brew had been ordered to report there and check in before they took off in their Cosmo Tigers under Cory Conroy's command at 2350 at the nearby airbase; here, they learned that they were assigned to the Second Star Force and that the Sun Tigers would be the space battleship's Flight Group. 

"I can't believe it," said Brew as he looked at his the new black and gold Flight Group uniform he now wore. "We're members of a Star Force unit."

"And we're gonna be deployed, as scheduled, until next year," said Wakefield. "This must be serious…"

"Why are you carrying DJ?" said Brew. "You can't bring her aboard the ship."

"Yes I can," said Wakefield as he cradled his personal weapon. "I have this letter, signed by the Commander, that allows me to bring her aboard any command that I join."

"Any command?" said Brew.

Deke struggled a little as he got out the letter. "Read this, Brew," said Deke. This is no shit."

Brew read the letter and said, "Yeah…this is serious," he said.

Soon, Deke and Brew got over to the head of the _Arizona_'_s_ gangplank as the crew checked in. There, Deke was taken aback slightly, since he saw a young woman who looked just like Nova, but with longer hair down to her waist.

"You're…"

"Lieutenant Aliscea Rosstowski, Assistant Living Group Leader of the Space Battleship _Arizona_, as well as Radar Officer. Your name is?"

"Ensign Deke Wakefield."

"You know you can't bring that weapon aboard ship, Ensign. You're not a Marine…"

Deke showed her his letter. "According to this letter, ma'am, I can bring this weapon aboard any vessel I am deployed to."

"Signed by Commander Singleton?" said Rosstowski. She stood in thought for a moment. _It feels right,_ she thought, _and then it doesn't feel right…I wonder how we'll…_

A moment later, Nova Wildstar came down the gangplank. "Aliscea," she said. "What's the holdup?"

"Mister Wakefield and this letter, ma'am," she said. "Is this really the signature of the Commander?" she whispered as she motioned Nova over.

Nova studied the letter and nodded. "That is his signature. Let Mister Wakefield board with that weapon. He has permission."

"Aye, aye, ma'am." Aliscea said as she saluted.

"I'll take over with the check-in here," said Nova after Aliscea checked in Brew. Brew was the last Sun Tiger to be checked in. "Lead these Flight Group members to their cabins so they can drop off their gear; they have to meet with their Group Leader and be off the ship in twenty minutes to head to the airbase for their planes."

"Understood," said Aliscea as Nova took over her job.

After Deke and Brew and the others were shown to their cabins (and Wakefield and Marrable found they would be cabinmates again) they met with Lieutenant Commander Cory Conroy in a quick briefing in the _Arizona_'_s_ ready room. "It'll be a quick flight," he said. "We'll leave the airfield, fly up to two hundred kilometers over the Eastern Sea and meet with the ship around that altitude and land, per your squadron assignments, in the lower flight bay and the two upper flight bays. After we land, you will check over your planes and then secure for warp…when we reach the Moon Orbit at 0100 Hours on the 19th, which is tomorrow, we will warp to Mars and then warp again to the edge of the Solar System where we will commence a patrol. There was an attack on shipping two days ago in that area near Pluto, and we're still looking for the enemy. Got that?"

"Yessir!" yelled all forty-seven of the Sun Tigers.

"You know your jobs," said Conroy in his heavy Southern accent. "Go to them."

At that, the Sun Tigers began to make ready to leave the ship.

* * *

A few short minutes later, outside, they were again heading down the gangway towards waiting busses that would hustle them to the flight line at the nearby airbase. As Deke got onto the bus, he noticed, out of the corner of his eye, Nova checking in a last tardy crewmember, ranking him out a little, and then turning quickly to someone in a black Captain's peacoat. He noticed it was Commodore Wildstar, and as he sat down in his seat on the bus, he saw Nova and Derek hugging fiercely for a moment before they spoke together and then parted. 

Then, as the bus began to move, Wakefield noticed a young woman with long blonde hair in a Cadet uniform running alongside the bus, waving at it.

It was Sasha. Deke couldn't open the bus window (it was sealed), but he waved back, to the amusement of some members of the Sun Tigers. Some of them yelled, "Dekesticks has a GIRLFRIEND!" as Deke blew a kiss at her before she walked Commodore Wildstar back to an aircar, alone. Then, he noticed Nova going up the gangplank, in silence, with her head buried dejectedly in her hands.

Conroy drew his attention away from the scene as he snapped, "Tigahs! Make sure your gear bags are complete and make sure you have your flight plans in order…I will review them with you later tomorrow after we complete our first patrol! Got that?"

They all nodded back as the bus pulled away from the _Arizona_, leaving Sasha and the Wildstars behind. The last that Wakefield saw of the ship was a view of her sitting there with her gangplank going up as her navigation lights came up and as dock crew people on the dock were preparing to cast off.

* * *

A few minutes later, Deke and Brew were in flight in their Cosmo Tigers, flying as Charlie Flight behind an experienced Flight Leader named Lt. Dalton Hollingsfield. Hollingsfield was also one of the two Section leaders for their strike fighter squadron, which landed safely in the _Arizona's_ starboard upper flight bay a few minutes later. By then, they were high above Earth, and Deke and Brew lost themselves in routine as they got their gear off their planes after locking into their landing bay berths. Soon, they checked over their planes with the flight crew, pointed out a few small things that the flight crew people could adjust, and then they went to the Ready Room to secure for their first space warp out of the Moon Orbit. 

The warp was right on schedule at 0100 on the 19th; one day had passed into another as they had worked without their being aware of it until now. After Deke and Brew felt the nausea and disorientation of coming in and out of warp, they went through the same thing all over again. Their time in warp space seemed a little longer this time, until they emerged from warp near Pluto.

"Warp completed," said Captain Mark Venture's voice over the shipboard PA. "This is your Captain speaking. Now that we have emerged from warp, I am asking all crew members to gather together on the main observation deck at 0130 Hours for a meeting and briefing regarding our mission. Our mission begins tonight. I will see you soon."

* * *

**IV. THE MISSION BEGINS**

**The Vicinity of Pluto**

**Space Battleship _Arizona_**

**Monday, May 18, 2206**

**0130 Hours: Earth Time**

* * *

It was not the first time that Deke Wakefield had met Captain Mark Venture, but it was the first time he had served under the tall New Yorker, so he wasn't quite sure what to expect as the tall, dark-skinned officer with wavy hair and a dark blue Captain's peacoat ascended the podium before the assembled crew on the _Arizona's_ main observation deck (which was below the foredeck and ahead of the main guns) and began to speak. 

"Gentlemen and ladies. Commodore Wildstar and I selected all of you for this mission because we felt you could best adapt to what will be an open-ended patrol with no clear objective except for one; we, the Second Star Force, and the First Star Force, aboard the _Argo_, are to detect, find, and engage forces of the Comet Empire or the R'Khell Union before they can make it to Earth. Also, we are to assemble information as to the presence of the Cometines' main enemy fleet, and to the presence of the New Comet itself."

A buzz filled the room as Venture continued. "What I am telling you, Wildstar is also telling his crew aboard the _Argo_. This information is to remain strictly classified, and you are not to reveal this to any family members that you write to, nor are you to discuss this with anyone else in the Defense Forces, save with members of the First Star Force and members of the Commander's Staff. This is the information we have learned, from interrogation of Cometine prisoners we have captured, from analysis of wrecked material from Cometine vessels, and from intelligence gleaned from the Gamilons and Rikashans."

Venture paused as Deke took a deep breath. Then, he said, "What we have learned is that there is a second Great White Comet, heading slowly towards Earth. Our ultimate mission is to stop it."

The room filled with a lot of conversation before Venture clapped his hands in front of his microphone. "According to our estimates, the New Comet is somwhere between a year to a year and a half away from Earth. We think that it is currently consolidating Prince Zordar's former conquests between the Andromeda Galaxy and the Great Magellenic Cloud. Our mission is to defend Earth by cutting off these attacks upon our shipping and our Defense Forces that seem to be intended to slowly break down our defenses while the rest of the EDF engages in a new building and recruitment program. Evenetually, we are to eliminate these threats to Earth…so that we can give Earth some breathing space. Is that understood?"

"**YESSIR!**" cried out the crew of the _Arizona_ as one.

"Very good," said Venture. "Our mission begins at once."

At that, the meeting ended.

* * *

At 0210 Hours, the action began. 

On the _Arizona_'_s _first bridge, as Pluto loomed ahead in the bridge windows, Lt. Miyazaki, the ship's Communications Officer, said, "Captain Venture! I've picked up a distress signal!"

"Where is it from?" said Venture.

"Twenty-two megameters ahead of us, I think. This is the transmission; switching to audio…."

A moment later, a signal came across the bridge speakers. "Hello, this is the space frigate _Wainwright_! Any ship in our range, please respond! Again, any ship in our range…"

Venture made a hand motion to Miyazaki; a moment later, he was able to respond. "This is Captain Mark Venture of the space battleship _Arizona_. Over!"

"Captain Venture! This is Commander Walsh! Pluto's not responding…I think we're being jammed. We were escorting the freighter _Valiant Hope_ with three other frigates; that is, the _Smith_, the _Cavell_, and the _Pearson_. We've lost contact with the freighter and the _Pearson_, and the other vessels are reporting torpedo hits and jamming, and we have taken two hits. Can you lend assistance?"

"We have fighters; where did you last detect torpedoes from?"

"RPX-212; two megameters ahead of us…we can't see the ships!"

"Sounds like space submarines," said Paul Rosstowski from his post. "Readying space mines, sir."

"We'll investigate, _Wainwright_," said Venture as he brought up the red alert klaxons. "All hands to combat stations!" yelled Venture into the PA. "Repeat, all hands, to…"

* * *

"…COMBAT STATIONS!" Wakefield heard a moment later in his cabin as the klaxons snapped him awake. 

"BREW!" he yelled.

"Ah know!" yelled Marrable as he got up and threw on his uniform over his skivvies. Deke had his uniform thrown at him a moment later, and he got dressed in a heartbeat.

"We weren't on alert tonight!" said Brew.

"So?"" said Wakefield. "Sounds like we're needed…"

When they were ready, both of them ran towards their planes.

A few minutes later, Deke and Brew received word that they were going to take off next, following the fighter squadrons led by Conroy and by Thomas "Buzz" Rutherford. Buzz, in particular, was glad to be back in action again with a Star Force unit; after a very long covalesence after having been injured in 2201 around the beginning of the Rikasha Incident by the Cometines, Buzz was out for revenge.

Deke and Brew got the "launch" signal a moment later from their squadron leader, a young hard-bitten woman named Michelle Ambrose. Soon, Deke and Brew were following their flight leader, Hollingsfield, off towards an area of space that looked empty.

"Why are we here, sir?" said Wakefield.

"A hunch I've got," said Hollingsfield. "Stay by me and keep your eyes open, people. You both copy?"

"Copy," said Deke. Deke asked his Radar Survey Officer and aft gunner if they copied; both of them did.

"Copy," said Brew.

A moments' worth of time passed; Deke swivelled his head around, watching his twelve, his three, his six (the _Arizona_ was right at their six at this point; she was just a small dot that was getting hard to see) when, all of a sudden, not far from Pluto's moon (which they were approaching) an orange light appeared from nowhere…it was the bow of a Cometine space submarine. Two trails of fire blasted right past them off towards the _Arizona_; they were torpedoes.

When the enemy sub fired again, Deke was ready. He shot at the approaching torpedoes with his forward and wing guns, and then switched to missiles just as his RSO (a young woman known as Ensign Deanna Stern) said, "Skipper, that space sub isn't moving; I think he thinks he can ignore us and get the _Arizona_."

"Why's that?" said Deke.

A moment later, the sub fired a good number of missiles at them. All three of the planes dodged the submarine; as Deke dodged, he noticed that, off in the distance, three more planes from their squadron were attacking two other subs, while off in the distance, still other Tigers were fighting with smaller, faster-moving ships. "Looks like there's more than a few subs," said Wakefield to Stern.

"Looks like you're right," said Stern as she looked at her scope. "Long range radar is picking up another one off in the distance behind this one!"

"Okay, we'll pick these guys off one at a time," said Wakefield. "Or maybe not…they look a bit big, and…"

"Wakefield!" barked Hollingsfield. "Throttle back! You, Marrable, and I will coordinate our efforts and hit the bow of that sub! Ready?"

"Roger that," said Deke, who throttled back. On hurried advice from Stern, Deke locked two of his missiles on target.

A moment later, all three planes evaded some enemy laser fire and streaked in towards the Cometine sub. Firing missiles and then laser cannon into the large sensor at its bow, they soon had the sub burning. As they flew away, it exploded.

"YEAH!" yelled Wakefield. "First hit of the game."

"Wakefield!" said Hollinsgfield. "Watch your six!"

Deke looked back and then he saw it; a Cometine Paranoia fighter was streaking in towards him from the rear. "CRAP!" he muttered. "Corporal?"

Corporal Hayes, the ship's tail-gunner said, "Sir, hold off on manuevering for a minute…I think I can get him." Hayes fired, and then, a moment later, a ball of flame appeared where an enemy fighter had been.

"Well, that's not bad," said Deke.

"Not bad?" said Stern. "There's four more of them off our tail to starboard!"

"Well, that could be a problem," said Deke laconically as he threw the Tiger around in a sharp snap-spin. "Let's see what we can do if we're facing those guys…"

"You still there?" barked Hollingsfield in his headset.

"Yessir," said Deke.

"Keep your eyes peeled; Marrable got into another hairball someplace with those guys; I have no idea what happened to him. And there's more coming!"

"_Crap_," said Deke in a low voice. He hated the thought of possibly saying goodbye to his best friend in their first battle together after graduation. He prayed that, somwhere in this mess, Brew was all right…

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	3. Chapter 3

**ALTERNATE TALES OF THE STAR FORCE**

**STAR BLAZERS****---****THE NET TIGHTENS **

**Being the fourth part of _THE NEW COMET_--- BY: Frederick P. Kopetz**

* * *

This Act is being completed with the Cooperation and Assistance of Derek A.C. Wakefield (as usual)---_Freddo_

* * *

**ACT THREE: MORE WAR…**

* * *

**I. INVESTIGATIONS**

**Space Battleship _Argo_**

**1,500 Lightyears Away from Earth**

**Monday, May 19, 2206**

**0145 Hours: Earth Time**

* * *

Commodore Derek Wildstar was facing a dilemna.

The _Argo_ had warped out to a location in deep space where several patrol ships had picked up some strong Cometine signals in the past few days. When they arrived there, there was nothing on the radar, and no sign of the enemy…

…at least, not until now.

Lieutenant Victoria Becker, the _Argo's _new Living Group Leader, sat at the cosmo-radar in Nova's usual place. She said, "Sir, I have something."

"Where is it?" said Wildstar.

"It's on the Time Radar, sir. This was in our space about five hours ago. Image amplified and enhanced and sent to main video panel…"

A moment later, an image of an enemy fleet appeared on the screen. Becker said, "It looks like a carrier, two battleships, four missile cruisers, ten destroyers and ten submarines."

"Twenty-seven ships," said Sandor. "Can we figure out which way they were going?"

"It's hard to tell from the image," said Domon.

"I don't quite have a clear vector on it, either," said Becker. "There's not enough data to come up with a solution."

"Can't you get one?" said Wildstar.

"No, sir," said Becker as she began to sweat.

_I'll bet Nova could have done it,_ Derek thought bitterly. Luckily, he kept that thought to himself.

The question of which location the fleet was going became a moot point a moment later when Eager cried out, "Missiles approachin' from starboard! Big wave of missiles!"

"All hands, to combat stations!" yelled Wildstar as Kitano turned the _Argo_ about. Only one missile hit the _Argo_ as a Cometine group of missile ships showed itself on Becker's Cosmo Radar as the First Star Force's new foe.

"So much for investigating the enemy, huh?" said Sandor with a twisted grin.

"We can investigate later," snapped back Commodore Wildstar. "After we reduce this bunch to debris, that is."

"I've got a bead on the enemy fleet," said Becker. "Distance, fourteen megameters, bearing thirty degrees to starboard, and speed, ten space knots and accelerating."

"I have a bead and bearing on the fleet," said Domon. "All guns, track to thirty starboard, elevation angle, maxiumum."

The _Argo_ shook again from another wave of missiles and took a little damage.

_This can't be as simple as it seems,_ thought Wildstar. _There's something behind this, but what is it? What is it?_

* * *

**II. SETTING A TRAP…**

**Cometine Spacecraft Carrier _Dekgavis_**

**1,500 Lightyears Away from Earth**

**Monday, May 19, 2206**

**0145 Hours: Earth Time**

* * *

General Dalkon, per his orders from Invidia some weeks ago, was heading towards Rotella, but he and his forces had decided to try some attacks around the vicinity of Earth in the hopes of drawing out the _Argo_ and the _Arizona_. Now, he was glad to find out that his efforts had borne some fruit.

"So," he said in a transmission to his Third Missile Cruiser Squadron Commander, Captain Megara. "You've got the_ Argo_ pinned down?"

"Yes, sir. And the Second Fleet also has the _Arizona_ in combat near Pluto."

"Excellent," said Dalkon. "Launch all planes. I want the _Argo_ battered beyond recognition!"

On the bridge of his carrier, Dalkon's executive officer nodded as he did an about-face to carry out his skipper's orders.

Dalkon ordered his planes launched.

Soon, they were attacking the _Argo_, causing a fair amount of damage.

However, Wildstar ordered Hardy and the rest of the Black Tigers to launch a counterattack. Soon, Hartcliffe's squadron was driving away the Cometine attack boats, while Hardy's squadron flew in to attack the enemy carrier and its destroyer escorts.

* * *

"We're under attack?" snapped Dalkon. 

"Affirmed, sir," said his new executive officer, a Captain Vallis. He had recently killed his previous XO for not obeying orders quickly enough. "How many of them?"

"Twelve enemy planes," said Vallis.

Dalkon laughed. "They can't do us any damage! Order our gunners to begin to take them out like rats infesting a basement back home in And…"

The _Dekgavis_ shook a moment later as Hardy himself pumped a missile into one of her hangar bays.

"Not bad!" laughed Hardy as he dodged a laser beam that came from one of the enemy carrier's turrets.

As Vallis got up from the deck, he said, "Sir, should we be laughing?"

"Perhaps not," hissed Dalkon. "They're so experienced, it might take some more effort to take them out. Order our own fighters to launch and…"

The carrier shook again a moment later as she took a hit right down one of the elevators.

"I would recommend retreating to a safer area!" snapped Vallis.

"It might be a good idea," responded Dalkon as he saw two of his destroyers blown apart. "Perhaps we can lure the _Argo_ towards Rotella and finish them off there? They might be foolhardy enough to follow us…"

"Not a bad idea," said Vallis as the _Dekgavis _shook from another hit. "All ships!" he snapped. "Prepare to warp out towards Rotella in two minutes. Repeat, emergency warp, two minutes!"

* * *

On the _Argo_, Lieutenant Kumyat said, from Artillery on the First Bridge, "Captain Wildstar, all of the enemy missile ships are in one location. Main guns ready, and they're in range." 

"We can't take much more of this," said Wildstar as he stood next to Sandor and saw that the _Argo_ had taken more damage from missiles. "Open fire now!"

"Main guns, open fire!" barked Domon from his place.

Soon, the _Argo's _guns went off, destroying two of the missile cruisers.

"Domon, order the Black Tigers back to base. We're going to finish off that carrier now."

"Yessir. Black Tigers, return to the ship!"

"Roguh!" said Hardy.

The planes began to return to the _Argo_ a moment later.

When they began to land, Domon relined the guns on the rest of Dalkon's fleet. He had the fleet in his sights when it warped away.

"What?" he said.

"They've warped out!" said Becker. "Heading, off straight towards the Andromeda Nebula! Course, RPX-212 by RGA-40. We might be able to extrapolate where they went by following that course…"

"It'll take us time," said Sandor as he walked up to Wildstar. "The _Argo's_ taken some heavy damage. It'll take a few days to make repairs."

"Homer, can we call Earth?" said Wildstar.

"I was meaning to tell you, sir," said Homer. "That last missile hit…it damaged the main radio antenna. We can't send or receive…at least until we get it fixed…"

"Damn…what a _spot_," said Wildstar as he sat down angrily at his post. "We were supposed to report back home…and now…we _can't…_"

* * *

**III. DEKE'S HOMECOMING**

**The Vicinity of Pluto**

**Space Battleship _Arizona_**

**Monday, May 19, 2206**

**0248 Hours: Earth Time**

* * *

When the enemy sub fired again, Deke blotted out his rage about Brew being missing and he was ready to take it out. He attacked the sub with all of his guns blazing and he and Hollingsfield blew several holes in the sub. As he gritted his teeth and swung off, Hollingsfield said, "Pull out! I'll give it the _coup de grace_!"

"Got it!" hissed Deke.

Hollingsfield finished off the sub while Deke snapped about and attacked two Scorpions with his remaining missiles. Then, a moment after that, Deke heard Conroy in his headset. "All planes, return to base at once! The _Arizona__'s_ about to fire!"

"Sir!" said Deke. "Ensign Marrable is missing!"

"Missing?"

"We were separated in the battle! I don't know where he is!"

Conroy was silent and then he said, "Wakefield, we'll deal with it back on the ship. Return to base!"

"Sir..?"

"Return to base!" snapped Conroy. "Acknowledge!"

"Roger," said Deke as tears ran down his face. "Returning to base!"

Deke then gritted his teeth and followed Hollingsfield as, far away, the remaining remnants of the nearby enemy fleet tried to regroup.

* * *

Back aboard the _Arizona_, Captain Venture said, "Where's the enemy fleet?" 

At the Cosmo-Radar, Nova (who was sharing this position with Aliscea) said, "They're disorganized, Captain. Part of the enemy fleet is one megameter behind the submarine force that the Sun Tigers routed; there's just one submarine left and a group of five planes. Behind them, I'm still tracking a small carrier, six destroyers, two missile cruisers. Range, nine megameters, speed, twenty-one space knots and accelerating! The carrier is at the rear of the formation!"

"We need to recover our planes, first," said Rosstowski.

"Missiles approaching! Incoming missiles!" barked Junior Lieutenant O'Caffrey from the tactical radar. "Brace for hit!" he snapped.

A moment later, the _Arizona_ trembled from a major missile hit.

"Where is Conroy, Rosstowski?" asked Venture.

"He says they're beginning to arrive back aboard ship, sir!" barked Rosstowski.

"Second wave of missiles!" yelled Nova. "Enemy fleet is now at eight megameters!"

"Ten degrees port!" said Captain Venture.

"Turning ten degrees to port," said Holly Venture a moment later from her post at the helm as she turned the handles hard. "Evading missiles!"

"All planes are in!" said Rosstowski.

"Mister Rosstowski, prepare to fire main guns," said Venture. "Time's running out!"

"Enemy Fleet, distance, five point five megameters, speed, twenty-six space knots!" said Nova. "Bearing, RX-225!"

"Roger that!" said Rosstowski. "Main guns, to RX-225!"

* * *

Deke Wakefield jumped out of his plane after the ship landed and was on his journey on its lift upwards to its docking space when he noticed a familiar figure yelling as he played a fire extinguisher over a plane parked at the lowest level of the docking bays. 

"Damnit!" yelled a familiar voice. "Damnit to hell!"

"Brew?" said Deke.

"Hey, Deke!" yelled Brew as he laughed after he put out a small fire that was burning on his plane. "_Damn plane!_ In the battle, one of my thrusters got all fouled up and it made me start spinning! Turns out it wasn't checked out right! I got out of the battle and I was just chewing the maintenance crew idiots a new asshole when you landed!"

"I'm glad you made it, man!" laughed Deke as he hugged Brew.

"Hey, I'm glad, too," said Brew.

A moment later, the deck vibrated below their feet and a loud set of bangs came through the _Arizona__'s_ superstructure.

"What the hell is that?" said Brew.

Deke dragged Brew to a viewport as he and several other pilots and flight crew members cheered as the _Arizona_'s main guns went off. A moment later, several explosions lit up space.

"I think that's the end of _that_ bunch!" said Wakefield.

"And I think we need to get into the ready room to debrief," said Lieutenant Ambrose as she looked at her squadron. "All twelve of you guys made it back…good show. We'll go over who shot down what later on."

"Is the battle over, ma'am?" asked another pilot.

"That's what I heard," said Ambrose. "Now, let's get going. We'll be up a while tonight…"

* * *

A while later, Nova Wildstar sat in her Living Group Leader's office, meeting with Aliscea (who was helping some nurses with recovery of the few wounded from the battle) and with the ship's surgeon, Doctor Patricia Bradford. They were discussing the aftermath of the battle. 

"Well, it wasn't too bad, overall," said Aliscea.

"You'll see worse, if you're serious in wanting to learn nursing and medicine as well as helping out every now and then with those Pellian abilities of yours," said Bradford.

"I'm no teenager, remember," said Aliscea. "I saw worse on Pellias than you ever have!"

"And I think you have to learn to pay your dues," said Doctor Bradford.

"Dues?" snapped Aliscea Rosstowski. "I've paid my dues, you…"

"Both of you, cool it!" snapped Nova. "You two are giving me a headache!"

"You're gonna have lots of headaches, Wildstar, if you want to be a doctor some day," said Bradford.

"She has a point," said Aliscea.

"What point?" said Bradford.

"The point I mean to make with you, Doctor," snapped Aliscea as she stared hard into Doctor Bradford's eyes.

"The point you mean to make with me," said Bradford in a slow voice that shocked Nova. Nova thought, _Is she using some kind of Pellian Mind Trick on Doctor Bradford?_

"Now I think we should get out of here," said Aliscea.

"I think we should get out of here," said Bradford in a robotic voice. Nova shook her head as she realized, _Aliscea…you are doing this! Stop playing games!_

"Let's go," said Aliscea.

"Let's go," said Bradford in a dull voice as she left.

Nova looked aghast at Aliscea, and said, "You weren't supposed to do that! She is your superior officer!"

However, the Pellian just shrugged and smiled as Bradford went down the passage.

"Don't make this a regular tactic, Aliscea," said Nova.

"I'll try not to," said Aliscea with an evil grin. "Good night, ma'am."

* * *

A few minutes later, Nova brushed her hair out of her eyes and sat back in her office chair as she was suddenly disturbed by some banging from _inside_ a storage locker in her office. 

"Now what is it?" said Nova. "Who's in here?"

"I am," piped up a familiar electronic voice.

"_What?_" said Nova. "You're not supposed to be _here_!"

Nova opened the locker and IQ-9 tumbled out, crashing to the deck on his back before Nova's feet.

"Tinwit, _you_ are not the ninth class that's supposed to be aboard this ship!" snapped Nova.

"That other stupid ninth class and I made a deal and we made a swap last night before we left Earth," said IQ-9.

"Why?"

"I have a hunch that you might need me around this cruise."

"Robots don't have hunches," huffed Nova.

"I do," said IQ-9 as he got up. "I have this sense you are in danger. All of my circuits are pulsing with it. I feel I need to protect you without Commodore Wildstar around to do it. Besides, I found this bag you had in here."

"Thanks, I knew it was there; besides, that gear bag's not mine," said Nova. "It belongs to someone I need to have a talk with in a minute. Why do you feel I'm in danger?"

"We will be confronting front-line forces of the Comet Empire. Without Wildstar around, I compute you are in greater danger. To help Wildstar and keep you safe, you need to be protected. I will do it."

A tap came at the hatch from outside. Nova called out, "Come in!" Then, the hatch opened, and a tired-looking Deke Wakefield stumbled in. IQ-9 went quiet as he came in, and Deke barely seemed to notice the robot's presence.

"You called my cabin and asked me to come down here, ma'am? What do you need?"

"You thought you lost this?" said Nova as, with a look of shock on his face, she handed him the B-4 gear bag he had left aboard the _Argo_ by mistake back in March.

Deke recognized the beat-up bag at once. "Where did you find it, ma'am?"

"In your quarters aboard the _Argo_ after an enlisted person from my Group was cleaning up. I kept it for safekeeping and took it home with me. When I knew you were going to be onboard this ship yesterday, I made sure I brought it. You have some explaining to do, Ensign."

Deke gulped at that, thinking at once of the picture of Dawn in the bag. "Uh…ma'am…did you look in the bag?"

"No, I would never dream of it, it's YOUR dirty old B-4 flight bag! I have no business in there!" said Nova. "What I _do_ mean is that a space sailor cannot afford to be so careless about his or her personal effects aboard ship. What if you left classified papers somewhere? Or a weapon? You'd better learn to be more careful."

"Uh…ma'am…I'll try to be…thanks," stammered Deke.

"I see," said Nova. She studied his face for a moment, then said, "You look very…perturbed about something. Would you like to talk? About your personal life, say?"

He assumed a professional façade, and then said, "No, ma'am."

"You're sure?"

"That's right."

"I'm good at counseling," said Nova. "I have an open door if you'd ever like to come in and talk for a bit."

Deke gulped for some reason and said, "Ma'am, I'll think about it."

Nova nodded and said, "Dismissed."

Deke saluted and said, "Thanks, ma'am." Then, he left.

Nova then began to make herself some tea while biting her lip and thinking seriously. Then, she turned to IQ-9 and said, "Something doesn't feel right about this, IQ. Sasha's told me that they've been exchanging letters. Yet, I ask him about it, and he seemed to deny it. Now does _that_ make _any_ _sense_?"

"It does not seem to make a lot of sense. But, I detected an increased heartbeat and greater electro-galvanic resistance in his magnetic field with my sensors. Since I am ten thousand times more sensitive than any lie detector apparatus, I can tell that something is very obviously bothering that human."

"Yeah," said Nova. "You and me, both, my friend. You and me both," she said while shaking her head.

* * *

**IV. HOWLS OF DEVILS, SCREAMS OF JACKALS**

**The Site of Numeira, Jordan**

**Near the Shores of the Dead Sea**

**Friday, May 29, 2206**

**1200 Hours: Local Time**

* * *

The Dead Sea had been a desolate, horrid place for a long, long time. The shores of the salty, polluted inland sea between Israel and Jordan had long been hellishly hot, with the sun burning on weird salt shapes that the sea deposited in hunks on the rocky, sandy, salt-ridden shores.

It had become even worse after the planet bombings as bombs had stirred up the salt and the desert soil, exposing ruins of an archaelogical dig that few had yet had the nerve to return to. Now, ancient bits of wall, ancient bits of pottery, and ancient bones, many of them burned and human, littered the ground near the salt flats in this evil no-man's land, a no-man's land that resounded every now and then with the screams of jackals…or things that sounded like jackals.

And some of the ancient soil that had been kicked up by the bombs looked blackened, like obsidian. A fresh smell of sulfur hung everywhere in this accursed plain.

The Space Marine who had been Mick Stovall stumbled with an idiotic grin amongst the cursed rocks and ruins of Numeira as he said to the dark spirit that indwelt him, "This was a long damned walk, Lordship. Where is this place?"

"It was a verdant plain once, long, long, _long_ ago," said Ekogaru as he smiled. "My father had a grand experiment in human relations going here, yes he did, in the cities of the plain. A great experiment. Long before the Dreaded, Burning One walked the Earth, my father was active here, yes, and I visited this place, when there were great cities here, with other names. Those were in the days before the Burning One caused the cities of the plain to be overthrown; and there was a smoke, a smoke as like as to a burning from a furnace. The patriarch Lot saw it. It was the last thing his wife saw." Ekogaru laughed at that. "Numeira once had another name. Yvona will know it. She shall soon be here, just as I commanded."

A harsh wind blew as Ekogaru pulled a black cloak out from a pocket of Stovall's Space Marine uniform and he clad himself in the black cloak. "They are here. I see the conning tower of the R'Khell space submarine over those hills. _She_ will soon come to me. Just as she promised. And then, no more questions from you, human."

Stovall nodded and his consciousness passed into a blissful forgetfulness as he felt the Sphere. Ekogaru stared into it and nodded once as a party of three came over a hill.

One of the party was a tall woman in a red cloak and matching red sandals; she was Miosha, the new High Priestess of the R'Khell people. To her far right walked General Vargarda, a tall R'Khell male in a red uniform with a beard and turban who walked along with his hand clamped hard on the arm of a tall human female who was chained to him.

The third member of the party was tall, with dark reddish-blonde hair, and she had a torn sackcloth dress and sandals made of rope and old tires. She was the clone of Yvona, and long had she been awaiting this moment, this day, but she had also long feared it.

When she saw Ekogaru, she kissed his hand and knelt, heedless of the feel of the hot, burning salts on her bare knees as she prostrated herself before her Lord.

"Rise, my Lady," said Ekogaru after a long while. "Miosha, Vargarda, all is in readiness?"

"It is, Master," said Miosha. "It is good to see that you live again. That you are with us."

"It is good," said Ekogaru. "Yvona. I contacted you in your night visions and commanded you to memorize some…Scripture…" he said with an evident distaste. "Recite now, from Genesis, Chapter Nineteen."

"Yes, My Lord," said Yvona. "The Book of Genesis, Chapter Nineteen, verses twenty-three to thirty-two."

Yvona cleared her throat and began to recite.

_"Genesis 19:23-32: The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD: And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace. And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt. And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters. And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth: Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father…"_

"Enough," said Ekogaru. "Give us a history lesson, Yvona. Where do we stand now?"

"In the ruins of Gomorrah, my Lord," said Yvona. "The fire from heaven came down right here and blasted this place."

"And why are you here?"

"You are my father, so to speak, since you cloned me, my Lord. I am to lie with you, to preserve thy seed…"

"WRONG!" yelled Ekogaru as he viciously slapped Yvona across the face. "Try again."

"I am to lie with you, to preser…"

Ekogaru slapped her across the face again, hard enough to draw blood from her nose.

"YOU are RIGHT, but you are WRONG!" yelled Ekogaru. "try again, wench."

"Lord, I am…to…lie with you…" said a frightened Yvona as Miosha and Vargarda drew daggers and placed them lightly against her back. Ekogaru loomed menacingly over her

"Good. Go on."

"To…generate…seed…so…there may be more…"

"of my kind, enough," said Ekogaru as he grinned evilly at Yvona. "Right now, I have a weakness," said Ekogaru. "Right now, I am _not_ immortal. I live in this human body as a subterfuge. Eventually, I will make a new cyborg body and reward this bearer of my spirit when the time is right. Then, I will again be immortal. But, for now, until my conquest of all things is completed, only as a mortal can I produce seed and concieve children. You will bear my child, Yvona. That is why I am wedding you today. In Hell, you will produce…our child."

"Now, are you prepared?" said Ekogaru.

"I am," said Yvona. "I have only the sackcloth of a simple servant of yours and sandals on. Nothing else."

"You obeyed that, at least. General, unchain her."

Vargarda nodded and undid Yvona's chain. He handed the key to Ekogaru.

"Now that your arms are free, strip," snapped Ekogaru. "You are to go utterly naked except for the chain for the ceremony."

"In front of these witnesses?"

"Yes," said Ekogaru. "Strip."

Yvona slowly undid the string that tied on her ragged sackcloth dress and she took it off and almost involuntarily cast down her eyes as she stood almost totally naked in front of Ekogaru and his minions.. Then, she untied the rough cord bows that held on her sandals, tossed them aside, and gasped as she stood barefoot on the hot salt flat.

Ekogaru smiled evilly as he lewdly stroked the slender yet muscular youngish clone of Yvona from her chin down to her crotch. Then, he grabbed the manacle and key that had been around Vargarda's wrist and said, "Now, I will read you your vows and you will recite your answers. Before these witnesses, do you swear to love, honor, and cherish me?"

"I do," said Yvona.

"Do you swear to honor, obey, and worship me?"

"I do," said Yvona.

"Do you swear to worship me and follow me and obey my directives, forsaking all others?"

"I do," said Yvona.

"Do you swear to bear my child?"

"I do."

"And to put it to your breast and raise it?"

"I do."

"Good," said Ekogaru. "Now, ask me."

"Very..well," said Yvona. "Lordship, do you swear to love, honor, and cherish me?"

"Yes, when I _feel_ like it," hissed Ekogaru.

Yvona looked around and almost backed away from her Lord's malice for a moment before she felt Miosha's dagger pricking one of her bare buttocks and drawing blood.

"Lord, do you swear to honor, obey, and worship me?"

"I will honor you as best I can, being a god," snapped Ekogaru. "I will never worship you since you are beneath me, and you are to obey me, not the other way around. IS THAT UNDERSTOOD???" he screamed in her face.

Yvona sobbed at this and weak tears ran down her face. Somehow, this clone thought that Ekogaru loved her and that he would give her the respect and honor that Hiram Josiah had given her forebear on the wedding day she still bore in memory.

_But, no,_ thought Yvona in horror. _Instead of a church, we are being married in Gomorrah with human bones and jackals watching us. Instead of a bridal gown and shoes, I am naked and barefoot. Instead of a kind groom, I have a monster. And, instead of a wedding ring, I have…chains…_

"By the power vested in me as the War god of Rikasha," hissed Ekogaru as he locked the manacle around his wrist and then dragged Yvona roughly to her knees. "I prounounce you, wench, my wife. Watch, mine witnesses, as I kiss my bride."

Ekogaru then grinned evilly and kissed her like a madman. And then, Yvona began to scream, while he kissed her and then took her while the others grinned like sin-sick devils and applauded, she realized that Ekogaru's nuptial kiss was making her lips and mouth bleed…and as the jackals screamed a sudden sick, cold rain fell, Yvona was screaming along with them as the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah were again manifested on this warped, cold wedding night in Hell.

* * *

Later, that night, in the cold, Yvona was still strripped. "Lord?" said Yvona in a voice like a mouse as all of them sat together watching her later on. She knew she had to be careful with Ekogaru, since he had beaten her a few more times during this very unromantic wedding night. "When will I get clothes again?" 

All three of them laughed. "I have decided that since I know you are pregnant with my child, it will be a while."

"Will we be together?"

"No. You will be returned to the planet R'Khelleva and kept in seclusion in the Temple while I do my work on Earth. I will check on you, though, wife," he said with an evil laugh. "And, I am aware, by the way, you are now pregnant. Have a care, Yvona. I don't want anything to happen to our child."

And, at that, Ekogaru laughed while Yvona wept bitter tears of humiliation and rage.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	4. Chapter 4

**ALTERNATE TALES OF THE STAR FORCE**

**STAR BLAZERS****---****THE NET TIGHTENS **

**Being the fourth part of _THE NEW COMET_--- BY: Frederick P. Kopetz**

* * *

This Act is being completed with the Cooperation and Assistance of Derek A.C. Wakefield (as usual)---_Freddo_

* * *

**ACT FOUR: ENTER ROTELLA**

* * *

**I. INVESTIGATIONS**

**Space Battleship _Argo_**

**50,000 Lightyears Away from Earth**

**Friday, May 30, 2206**

**1235 Hours: Earth Time**

* * *

"Okay, close it up!" said Homer. On the_ Argo's_ First Bridge, Sandor shut the Communications panel. "It should be working now."

"We can call Earth now, Captain," said Sandor.

Commodore Wildstar nodded as he threw on his peacoat and sat down at the Captain's station. "Homer, call Earth from here. Use the Gamilon net that is about five hundred lightyears away and use the access code Desslok gave us."

"Understood," said Homer. After a few minutes, an image of Commanding General Singleton appeared on the _Argo's_ main screen.

"We've been trying to contact you for days, Wildstar." said Singleton. "What happened?"

"Our comm system was damaged in our last battle, sir," said Commodore Wildstar. "What was left of the Cometine Fleet that we mostly defeated near Alpha Michealis warped out towards the Andromeda Galaxy. We're 30,000 lightyears past the site of Telezart now, sir. Our heading is…towards the Andromeda Galaxy. We're tracking them home."

"I gave you latitude to investigate, but I'm surprised you've warped out this far. We thought you were the Gamilons at first. Why are you out of our galactic space?"

"I'm taking a risk, sir…we've passed some enemy picket satellites and so, I've just discovered we're in Cometine space now…but we're drawing closer to what we think is the location of General Dalkon's base…we think we're maybe one hundred lightyears away from it."

"And you think you can stop the attacks upon Earth if you can cripple that base?" said the Commander.

"We believe so, sir. Where's the _Arizona_?"

"On patrol near the Pluto orbit for now. Some R'Khell submarines have attacked more of our ore frieghters and escorts around that area. The Sun Tigers have been busy doing anti-submarine warfare for the past few days."

"So you can't send them out here?"

"Not at this time, Commodore," said the Commander. "I'm glad to hear from you. Keep me posted on how your mission goes. You have permission to attack the enemy base when you find it. Also, try to find out all you can about Invidia's plans."

"We wiill, sir," said Wildstar as he stood up and saluted.

Singleton returned the salute, and then said, "Star Force, good luck."

* * *

**II. DAWN'S ASSIGNMENT**

**Earth**

**Tokyo**** Megalopolis**

**Federation**** Central Hospital**

**Saturday June 7, 2206**

**1435 Hours: Earth Time**

* * *

"Boy, my feet hurt today," said Dawn Westland as she kicked off her clogs in a nurses' locker room at Central Hospital.

"You're telling me," said a fellow World Health Organization nurse, a friend of hers named Clarissa Wellington. "Of course, we've been on rounds since 0500."

"But this is the last day of First Phase WHO on-the-job training and familiarization," said Dawn as she slipped into pumps and put her dress jacket on over her WHO nurse's uniform. Her uniform was, as she noticed, different from the slightly longer regular dress worn by regular EDF nurses, but longer than the distinctive minidress worn by some of the EDF Fleet nurses who also worked here. "Hopefully, Doc Morrison will let us know where we're going for good when we meet with her today."

"I wanna go back to New York Central Hospital," yawned Clarissa as she ran a hand over her milk chocolate-colored cheek. "I can't _stand_ sushi."

"I want to go back home to San Diego," said Dawn with a shake of her head. "All my life, I wanted to serve as a nurse at San Diego Central. I hope I finally get assigned there today…for good."

"Yeah…I hope I get what I asked for, too," said Wellington as both young women left the locker room. "It was quite a trip going through school with you at Pan-Am, though."

"Same here," said Dawn with a smile, who didn't much like the idea of saying goodbye to her friend. But, she knew that life changed, and life took different people to different places.

_I wonder how Deke's doing? _Dawn thought as she stepped through the door_. I should have been there to say goodbye to him for good at the Academy, except I was still in San Diego then…getting ready to graduate myself….oh well…he's probably just as aggressive as ever…I wonder how Hardy is doing? Haven't written to him in a bit…I wonder where he is?_

* * *

A few minutes later, Dawn sat outside the office of Doctor Jane Morrison, the WHO Captain who was in charge of their training here at Central Hospital. After another nurse that Dawn knew came out of her office, Dawn entered her office. Since WHO was a paramilitary organization, she saluted Morrison before sitting down. The grey-haired doctor returned the salute, and then she said, "Ensign Westland. You're an interesting study, here." 

"Ma'am?"

"High grades, high level of familiarity with flight operations and aerospace medicine, top clinical observation grades, good at giving medical care in paramedical situations, great with helping to sustain battle injuries. You're an easy nurse to assign, actually. You know that some of our nurses are being sent to assignments with other agencies on a liasion basis?"

"Yes, ma'am…but, with all respect, I _did_ ask to be assigned to San Diego…"

"_Please_, let me finish," said Doctor Morrison in a soft tone that still brooked no opposition. "We are at war. You do remember that?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"I'm glad to hear that. You'll need some more training where you're going…that's why you'd better make sure you have more than enough summerweight uniforms…since you're going to Pensacola."

"Why?" said Dawn.

"You're going to be liasioned to the Earth Defense Forces, Ensign," smiled Morrison. "You'll be going to Pensacola to train as a flight nurse as part of a Rescue Boat crew. Then, you'll be joining the Fleet. Congratulations."

Dawn sat with her eyes closed. "Ma'am, I respectfully decline."

"_Decline_?"

"I'm sorry, ma'am…I was hoping to serve at San Diego Central Hospital. Near my mother, and…."

"You do see the Ensign's pin on your jacket, young lady?" snapped Doctor Morrison.

"I do, ma'am."

"Well, as long as you are with WHO, you _will _go where we _send_ you. Unless you wish to tender your resignation and give up your commission, that is?" said Morrison. "Of course, there is a third alternative, known as a board of inquiry, for failure to obey lawful orders. I'm sure you don't want that, do you?"

"No, ma'am!" snapped Dawn.

"Good. Then you will _pack_ your bags for Eastern America. That's all. I expected better of you, you know. Dismissed," snapped Morrison as she handed Westland her orders.

Dawn could barely salute through her tears of frustration, but she hid them well as she stepped out into the corridor. Then, once outside, she avoided Clarissa, ran right for the ladies' head, and cried her eyes out in a stall. In the stall, she cried out, "What did I do? _I DON'T WANT TO JOIN THE FRIGGING MILITARY!_ **_I DON'T! I DON'T WANT TO END UP LIKE DEKE!"_**

* * *

**III. PENETRATING COMETINE SPACE….**

**Space Battleship _Argo_**

**Deep Space: 80,000 Lightyears Away From Earth**

**Sunday June 8, 2206**

**1035 Hours: Earth Time**

* * *

The _Argo_ was now near General Dalkon's base, having practicially traced his fleet home.

"Wildstar, we're closer to that base than we think," said Sandor.

"How far are we?" said Wildstar.

"Well, we're near the eighth planet of this system, and I've picked up transmissions coming in from the third planet," said Homer. "I…"

"_Missiles approachin'_!" yelled Eager. A moment later, three Cometine missiles slammed into the _Argo's_ main deck near the second main gun turret.

"How badly were we hit?" demanded Wildstar as Domon held onto his panel near the forward bridge windows.

"Minimal impact, luckily," said Sandor as the alert klaxons came up.

At her post at the Cosmo-Radar, Lieutenant Victoria Becker said, "Captain! Three missile ships detected to port! Range, twelve megameters, and approaching fast!"

"Main guns, ninety degrees port," snapped Domon. "Horizontal elevation set! Captain, ready to fire in ten seconds!"

"Good going!" said Wildstar. "Mister Kitano, get ready to…"

The _Argo_ shook again from another hit a moment later. In that hit, the Artillery station blew apart. Lieutenant Kumyat was thrown across the bridge screaming, and he crashed into the Astro-Compass, which shattered under him.

Homer sat coughing as smoke blew all around him from the fire. Somehow, he maintained the presence of mind to put on a helmet and gloves set and get a fire extinguisher as Sandor did the same. Wildstar then gave the order, "All hands, don space protection as soon as possible! Doctor Sane, come up to the first bridge!"

"Main guns ready!" snapped Domon as he pulled on his heavy gloves while the _Argo_ shook again.

"Fire!" yelled Wildstar.

The forward main guns on turret #1 and auxilary turret #1 went off; but there was only an explosion from below as fire blasted out of main gun turret #2.

"Damn!" yelled Sandor. "A short circuit set off coolant gasses in Main Turret #2, Wildstar!"

"All hands in main turret #2 must be dead," said Domon. "I'm getting no response…I…"

Becker had left her post to try to tend to a moaning Kumyat. "Becker!" snapped Wildstar. "Back to your post! You're not trained as a nurse!"

"Sir," said Becker, "He's barely breathing," she said as the _Argo's_ new Ninth Class robot rolled over to Kumyat. "_Captain_!" said the robot in a voice flatter than the usual chipper tones of IQ-9 (which surprised Wildstar immensely). "This human is dying. There is no hope for him…"

"Please pray for me," gasped Kumyat. "I…"

"Prayer is an illogical exercise," said the cold-sounding robot. "My sentience is the result of random electro-chemical reactions, and so is yours."

"How can you talk like that?" gasped Kumyat as the remaining main guns went off again. Becker said, "Captain! One of the enemy ships is destroyed!"

"I am a logical robot. You are an illogical human, Mister Kumyat." said the robot. "Captain, I am an upgraded version of the Ninth Class. I have been stripped of emotion so that I can think faster. You may call me IQ-Nine point Seven. I am one hundred more times efficient than that old IQ-Nine Point Zero who followed Nova Wildstar in a foolish sentimental action to the _Arizona_. I can assure you this human unit is beyond repair."

A moment later, Doctor Sane ran onto the bridge, followed by two nurses pushing a litter. He looked at IQ and said, "Why the hell aren't you doing anything, you Goddamn bucket of bolts? Do you miss Nova that badly?"

"I miss no one," said IQ-9.7 in a cold voice that surprised Sane. "My sensors indicate that the human unit is beyond repair and has ceased to function. He can now be dissected for medical research purposes."

"You're damn right," said Sane after he examined Kumyat. "Wildstar, this man is dead."

"Where did you come from?" demanded Wildstar as he looked at IQ-9.7. "You could have saved him."

"From the _Arizona_, Captain."

"No, before that!" said Wildstar.

"The flagships _Pennsylvania_ and both versions of the _Andromeda_, sir. I was built five years ago as part of the original _Andromeda_ project as an upgrade and served under Admiral Gideon until before the battle at Saturn-Titan, sir."

"That explains it," huffed Sane. "Just as cold as the flying computer was, Skipper."

As the _Argo's_ main guns went off again and blew apart the remaining Cometine ships, IQ-9.7 reported, "My long-range sensors read six hundred Cometine enemy troops dead and twenty-eight of our own dead. It was a profitable battle. Our kill ratio was six hundred to twenty-eight. An acceptable loss."

The robot then followed the nurses out with Kumyat's corpse as Sane drank a deep draught from his sake bottle. "I feel like kicking that damn thing out an airlock, Wildstar!"

"Believe me, Doc," said Wildstar. "After having heard him, you aren't the _only_ one."

"Sir," said Becker with tears in her eyes. "You should have let me save him. Or at least try to."

"Maybe you're right," said Wildstar as he shut his eyes.

* * *

**IV. DALKON'S WRATH….**

**Cometine Base GG-1**

**Deep Space: 80,000 Lightyears Away From Earth**

**Sunday June 8, 2206**

**1249 Hours: Earth Time**

* * *

"So, what do our sensors indicate?" said General Dalkon as he spoke with Captain Megara, who was beside him on the bridge of his spacecraft carrier, the _Dekgavis_.

"The Eye in the Sky Satellite Number 666 indicated that we lost the First Picket Squadron to the Star Force, my lord. The _Argo_ took some major damage, sir. We see that her offensive armament has been damaged. Do you think she will still come here?"

"If they dare to come here, they're idiots," said Dalkon. "Send them a message commanding them to leave Cometine space at once. Give them three hours to leave the system and warp back thirty thousand lightyears to the Prince Zordar Line of Demarcation or we shall destroy them. Include the usual verbiage about our supremacy and the like. My bet is they'll flee like rats since they are damaged, and so forth. They're not fanatics like the Rotellans."

"Ninth Squadron had to deal with the Rotellans today near Automated Base F-7 near the ninth planet, lord."

"Damned fanatics. What happened?"

"Ninth Squadron took heavy damage; so did the Rotellans. Three Rotellan Corvettes escaped!"

"Hmm…if they meet up with the Star Force…and they do battle, maybe problem is solved? Megara, order Brigadier General Holvaya to maintain the fort here while we leave to crush these flies."

At that, Dalkon laughed a cold and evil laugh. Megara saluted and ordered the flagship _Dekgavis_ to lift off from the base along with a fleet of twenty-five more vessels. They were preparing for action, to crush the annoying enemies that were in the sanctuary of Invidia's sacred space, although they knew not yet for what purpose they had come there.

* * *

Three hours later, the _Argo_ drifted near the eighth planet, with the Mechanical Group out on the ship's hull trying to make repairs as quickly as possible while the rest of the crew was gathered on the foredeck in the shadow of Main Gun Turret Number One before twenty-eight cold space caskets. Each casket, of course, held a Star Force member who had died today. After the chaplain said his words and prayers, Captain Wildstar took front and center and said, "This is a sad day for us, but it remains incumbent upon us to continue fighting so that none of these men and women, our comrades, will have died in vain. To those of you who have passed on, it is my prayer you will find rest and eternal peace, and I wish to tell you we will remember you all again soon at Heroes' Hill…back home…gunners…do your duty." 

All of the surviving members of the First Star Force snapped to and saluted while a team of riflemen fired salutes as the bodies were committed over the rail into deep space. Soon, they were trailing the ship as the last of the salutes faded away.

Then, to the surprise of the Star Force, three battered-looking ships in a battered-looking royal blue and sky blue color scheme faded in out of warp before the _Argo's_ bow. They looked a little like EDF cruisers in size and in the configuration of their twin-gun gun turrets, although the shapes of their hulls and conning towers were quite different than those of any EDF ship. Or, for that matter, they were quite different from any Cometine, Gamilon, Pellian, Rikashan, Bolar, R'Khell, Technomugar, or Dark Nebulan ship they had ever encountered in their seven years of war since 2199.

"What the heck are those?" said Wildstar.

"I've never seen anything like that before, sir," said Ensign Dale Hersh, who would be the _Argo's_ new Artillery officer on Bridge # 1.

"Me, neither," said Sandor as most of the crew began to head back into the ship upon Wildstar's orders. "At least they aren't taking any aggressive action."

"We'd better order an alert," said Wildstar. "Sandor, get your repair crews inside on the double. Homer, try to establish a link with them…Eager, Becker, see if you two can find anything in the libraries that matches those ships. We might have been given information on something like that by the Gamilons that we haven't analyzed yet."

The other officers saluted and headed back inside the ship.

* * *

Back on the _Argo_, Wildstar took his seat at the Captain's command station while Homer said, "Captain Wildstar, I've established a link with the lead ship. Opening the channel." 

A short time later, an image came up of a very Terran-looking man with somewhat pinkish looking skin and sandy brown hair. He wore a khaki-colored uniform and said, in halting Terran, "You are the Terrans of the Star Force?"

"We are," said Wildstar. "I am Commodore Derek Wildstar, Captain of the _Argo_. Are you allied with the Comet Empire?"

"One could say that, but only by force. We are former slaves of theirs from a planet about five hundred lightyears away known as Rotella. We gained our freedom after the demise of Zordar, but Invidia has been working on again enslaving us. We know of you by reputation and have admired your bravery in holding off the forces of Zordar and Invidia. I am Captain Brazel of the Rotellan Federal Navy, commander of the corvette _Pavonia_. Many cities on Rotella have been attacked, but, still, those of us who remain have kept up the fight. "

"How do you know our language?"

"Zordar forced us to learn it. We were to be part of the second wave of conquerors (under Cometine orders, of course) to help enslave and occupy Earth. We were actually boarding transports to come towards Earth when Zordar was killed by you and Trelaina of Telezart. We were glad to hear this, since we had once had dealings with Telezart some time in the past. We have a common enemy to fight, Commodore Wildstar."

"So, how can you help us?" said Wildstar after a long pause in which he guessed that he could trust these aliens. They seemed to be enemies of the same enemy.

"I tell you that you are in great danger. This system is filled with Cometine forces. Still, we have been harassing the enemy as we can in hit and run raids. It has been some time since we have seen a battleship as large as yours, though; the enemy has destroyed most of our heavy battleships."

"Do you know where the enemy base is on their third planet?"

Brazel paused. He stood in thought for a moment. "Yes, I know, I can lead you right to it. How would you propose to assault them?"

"We have heavy weapons you may not know of," said Wildstar with an evil grin. "We have a means of attacking the base from above and destroying it with one well-placed shot."

"Impressive," said Brazel. "We can act as your escorts if you'd like to try such an attack…we…have two other ships, the _Eriteria_ and the _Fashika_, and…"

At that, the transmission faded out as another voice blew across the band. It said, "FOOLS, you think you can….plot…against…"

"Homer! Get them back!" snapped Wildstar.

"I can't! There's a heavy jamming wave and a counter-data stream being forced in over the jamming! Trying to get back the Rotellans, but…"

The image of Brazel faded out, to be replaced with the sneering image of General Dalkon. He had a heavy beard and an evil face. He said, "Greetings, Commodore Wildstar! I spit upon you and your Captain Avatar and hold you fools both in utter contempt! I am General Dalkon, and I am supreme here. No one else plots in my system, you idiot! It is not good for you scum-addled, pustulous, stinking rebels to be talking to each other. It is very tiresome and dangerous."

"That's a nice, happy greeting," said Wildstar sarcastically. "What do you want, you fat pig? I was just having a very nice talk with our new friends that your glorious Empire seems to be having a very hard time defeating. It's a shame that you seem to be having such a hard time defeating just a few ships. I wonder why that is?"

"Your words will soon be wiped out of your smart mouth by our glorious forces, Wildstar!"

"When?"

"I will show you mercy. You have three hours to leave this space and begin warping back thirty thousand lightyears back to the chain of stars you passed at the Hyperion Nebula at your MP-515. We call that the Prince Zordar Line. At the moment, it is our border. You have violated our territorial rights and our territorial space by coming here. We cannot allow this."

"What about your raids into our space, Dalkon? We followed your fleet here to give you the doom that you deserve."

"Never. You have three hours to make repairs and then leave. If you are not gone by then, we attack. Three hours, Wildstar. This is your last warning."

At that, Dalkon faded out.

* * *

**V. CONTINUED PURSUIT**

**The Vicinity of Alpha Centauri**

**Space Battleship _Arizona_**

**Sunday, June 8, 2206**

**1612 Hours: Earth Time**

* * *

In the meantime, the crew of the _Arizona_had troubles of its own as the space battleship had pursued Cometine sub squadrons out beyond the solar system. It had been trying to find them, and then had a few days where they had no contacts until they had received distress signals from Earth vessels near Alpha Centauri. So, the _Arizona_ had pursued the enemy to Alpha Centauri.

Right now, in a lull in the fighting, Deke Wakefield stood with the rest of the crew in the _Arizona__'s_ briefing room, hearing Captain Mark Venture brief the crew on their current situation to date.

"As it is at this time, it's been two days since we last had contact with the enemy…right here, in orbit around Centaurus," said Venture as he pointed to a graphic on the deck screen with a pointer. "Mister Conroy, would you describe the action?"

"Yessir," said Conroy. "Three of our patrol flights spotted the subs trying to attack the main base here at Centaurus. We scrambled, and we caused the enemy to flee within about ten minutes' worth of battle. We detected damage thanks to our standard ASW tactics. We haven't seen them since, sir."

_I was there in that battle_, thought Wakefield. _I even fired one of the missiles…Brew fired the other one at the same time. Brew and I argued for hours about who got him until Conroy gave both of us credit…._

Wakefield's attention was drawn back to the briefing as he heard Venture saying, "I'm opening up the floor to discussion. Why do you people think the enemy is doing this?"

"To mess up our shipping," said Paul Rosstowski. "They want to wreck our supply lines."

"Then why did they attack a base?" said Nova Wildstar. "That's not one hundred percent consistent. I think they're trying to weaken our morale with these raids."

"What purpose would that serve?" asked Rosstowski.

"At the beginning of the first war we fought with them, they were attacking our escort and patrol fleets and they also attacked our solar energy station near Venus," said Nova. "They caused a huge blackout on Earth, probably to rattle us."

"Good point," said Venture. "I remember them doing that."

"I've also picked up an enormous amount of malice coming from them," said Aliscea Rosstowski. "They really want to knock us down; to ruin our pride…to teach whom they consider to be boss. That is consistent with sadists," said Aliscea.

Nova nodded sadly as Lt. Alex Nelson said, "Captain, the ship is finally in top condition, for once. Unless the enemy returns, all we need to do is wait."

"Wait," said Holly Venture. "All this is is a waiting game. I wish we were doing something."

"Being in space won't always be exciting," said Mark. "I'd say the consensus is that the enemy wants to rattle us, ruin our supply lines, and harm us, all at once."

"They want to hurt us, sir," said Wakefield. "That's the basic point."

"Yes, Wakefield," said Venture. "They want to hurt us. You're right."

The discussion continued on for a few more minutes until everyone was dismissed. When they were dismissed, Deke and Brew began to leave, but Nova ran up beside Deke and said, "I'd like you to meet with me in my office at 1700, Mister Wakefield."

"Did I do something wrong?"

"No…there are just…some things I want to ask you about," Nova said with a blush as her stomach gurgled. "I'll…I'll see you later…excuse me…"

What Nova left unsaid was that his friend Brew had set the appointment up for Deke because he had noticed him looking "as depressed as an old hunk of wood" recently. With that done, Nova had penciled in the appointment for Deke.

Wakefield saluted as Nova left.

In the meantime, Nova walked at a brisk pace towards the nearest head. When she got in, she went into a stall, slammed the hatch behind her, locked it, and let a good part of her dinner heave itself up from a protesting stomach as she hacked and coughed. When she was done throwing up, she primly wiped her mouth and thought, _Well, at least I made it to the head this time. I wonder what could be causing this? Jitters? Or…something else. I did a pregnancy test the other day and it seemed to come up negative? I'd better check it again…and eat something light for dinner. A salad might do it. _

She looked up towards the overhead after she flushed the WC and said, softly, "Derek, after all our trying, wouldn't it be ironic if I'm pregnant now, in the middle of a war, thousands of lightyears away from you? I hope it's not true…please…let it not be true…I don't want to have our baby apart from you…I…"

Then, Nova gave in to her emotions and sat down on the WC and cried. A tap on the hatch brought her out of her cry as she angrily pulled open the hatch to be greeted with Holly Venture's concerned face.

"All you all right, Nova?"

"I'm fine, Holly. Just…stress. I haven't taken it to Doctor Bradford, yet. Maybe I should. I can't go to myself for counseling, of course," she said with a sad smile.

"Don't feel bad, I don't like this war much, either, even with Mark being here with me. We don't sleep together that often, but…"

"I was through the same thing with Derek…but it helps even when they can just hold you when you fall asleep…let alone…"

Holly blushed at that. "Aha! Miss Nova admits she's a big girl! So what's your love life _like_?"

"It's sucked since the 18th of May. That's the last time I was with Derek, ever since then…"

"Oh, so _that's _why you've been barfing," teased Holly.

"I hope it's something else. It would not be terribly convenient to be pregnant right now, in the middle of a war…"

"But not unprecedented…they do have a very cute maternity uniform, you know…well, two of them. One's a dress, the other's a jumpsuit…"

Nova rolled her eyes at that. "You're no help." Then, she laughed.

"Hey, madeja laugh!" said Holly as she coaxed Nova to her feet and gave her a hug. "Go see the doctor…then, you'll know…"

"Aye, aye, ma'am," said Nova with a smile.

* * *

At 1700, Deke Wakefield showed up at Nova Wildstar's office with a reluctant heart for his counseling appointment. When he was admitted, he was a little surprised to see her standing near her desk with her clothes changed (she had changed out of her gold uniform into a nurse's dress and sandals) pouring some tea into a cup. 

"I hope you don't mind tea?" said Nova as she stirred some sugar into a cup.

"Not at all, ma'am," said Deke. Nova picked up the cup, set it down, and then she crossed her ankles, and stretched like a cat and yawned before sitting down. In her nurse's tunic, the gesture reminded him powerfully of a gesture that Dawn used to make. She stretched again. Deke shivered within for a moment as he remembered how lovely Dawn's legs had looked in a similar outfit as a candy-striper in high school; with Nova's taller and more willowy build, Deke vaguely wondered how Commodore Wildstar could keep his hands off his wife for much longer than a moment when they were together.

Nova then pushed one of the cups of tea towards Deke. "Here you go. Now, let's sit down for a bit."

"Ma'am, why the salad?"

"This?" said Nova as she dug a fork into a small salad bowl before her on the desk. "Uh…"

"Sorry, ma'am…I saw you at dinner before."

"I got a little woozy and pecid, so I needed some more," said Nova.

"Ma'am, permission to speak freely?"

"Granted," said Nova with an impish grin.

"Why the…dress?"

"The nurse's outfit is because I'm going into surgery in ninety minutes, after we're done, and the tea is for you."

Deke nodded, adding just a little more sugar and artificial lemon to his tea.

"I put sugar in there already; you'll make yourself sick with that much."

"So, does it matter? My heart's sick."

"That does not sound cheery," said Nova as she talked around her lettuce on purpose to hide the shock and apprehension in her voice. "What's the problem?"

"One you've probably never had. May I assume, ma'am, you've virtually always been carrying a torch for Commodore Wildstar?"

"You're about right, since I basically married my first serious boyfriend, yes. What's the problem?"

"Okay.." said Deke after a long pause. "Let's say, for the sake of argument, that you are falling in love with someone, someone right now. This person wants you and makes no secret whatsoever of it. You find this person pleasant, sweet, kind, easy on the eyes, a little kooky, maybe, but very cute. The problem is that you have a ghost living in your head."

"A ghost?" said Nova. "Does it look like Jacob Marley's ghost and come out of your head once a year at Christmas?"

"I wish it did," said Deke, shivering as he remembered for a moment how much that sounded like something Sasha might say. His guilt and apprehension increased when he saw Nova flipping her head back casually and wiping her bangs out of her eyes…in just the same way that Sasha did. "This ghost is the memory of an old girlfriend."

"She must have been pretty special if she is that hard to shake," said Nova with a little nervousness as she realized that she seemed to be getting to the heart of Deke's issues with commitment.

"She was. I grew up around her in childhood. We went through grammar school, middle school, and high school together. She was the first woman I slept with…that alone is something special…"

"It always is," said Nova obliquely as she realized she was flushing with heat herself. "I mean…that always is…I should know, I…"

"Ma'am?"

Nova smiled, _knowing _that she was blushing now. _Too much information, girl,_ thought Nova. _Even if Derek was the first man I've slept with and may have also possibly made me pregnant twenty days ago,_ she thought. "Nothing, she said. "Now, about this mystery girl."

"All right. One day, after we were really close, about to get married, we thought, things went South in a hurry and we split up. I spent the next three years of my life pining for her and hoping maybe I could get her back. When I saw it might be a fool's hope, I began dating someone else. So, what would you do?"

"What would I do?"

Deke nodded.

"The logical thing, maybe. Date my new love and tell myself to stop living in the past. Except I can't really say how I'd react in that situation."

"Why not?" said Deke.

Nova looked down at the desk. "I've never been there and I don't want to be there, myself. Knowing Derek for all these years has given me a sort of sheltered existence."

"Okay. Suppose he leaves you? What would you do?"

"He won't ever leave me," huffed Nova. "He's too much the honorable _samurai _for that."

"Okay, suppose…uh, Derek gets his head clonked against the side of his Super Star in some battle. He comes home whacky with a 100 percent service-connected disability and he decides he wants to throw you over for Cindi at the local diner."

"Cindi?" said Nova with some disgust.

"A waitress there who wears a very short French Maid uniform."

"He wouldn't do that," said Nova.

"This is an assumption," said Deke. "Let's assume he thinks you weigh as much as a Cosmo Tiger and want to eat bon-bons all day at home."

"If I ever got like that, I'd take the honorable way out and commit _seppuku_," said Nova dryly.

"Assuming," said Deke.

"All right," said Nova, not liking the thread of this conversation at all. "I'd wait for Derek, see if he came to his senses. If he divorced me, I'd try to fight it. If it went through, I'd mourn for a bit but then eventually go on living. And that is what you should do, Deke. _Go on living_. Especially…since you said you have a girl there who's crazy about you. If you have her, why worship at the shrine of your lost love forever?"

Deke took a deep breath. "You have a good point."

"There is such a thing, Deke, as being committed. The girl you are with now, or trying to be with, will love the fact that you are committing to her. But make that commitment! And don't look back! Forget the past! For all we know, that girl you used to love may be with someone else by now."

"I don't know…I haven't heard from her in so long, I…"

"That would _appear _to be a good sign she's moved on," said Nova as Deke sat thunderstruck. "How long has it been since you last heard from her?"

"I don't know….it's been ages…I write to her mother, though…"

"Write a letter to her mother, then. Tell her you need to know if this girl is with someone else or not. Tell her you need this for a sense of closure in your life."

Deke nodded his head, dully. He knew this was the logical thing to do. He didn't know if he could bring himself to do it.

He exchanged a few more pleasantries with Nova and then left. She invited him to come up again sometime, and he said he'd be happy to do so.

As he left, Nova thought, _Sasha is not in a good situation in the middle of this. I can tell Deke wants to be true to her, but how can he be if he's dragging around his old life like some kind of lead weight behind him? And I can't break therapist-patient cofidentiality by writing Sasha a letter about this, either. For better or for worse, Deke's going to have to work through this…on his own…_

* * *

**VI. DALKON'S RAGE…**

**Space Battleship _Argo_**

**The Vicinity of Cometine Base GG-1**

**Deep Space: 80,000 Lightyears Away From Earth**

**Sunday June 8, 2206**

**1930 Hours: Earth Time**

* * *

"Commodore Wildstar," said General Dalkon's sneering face on the _Argo's_ main screen. "I demand your reply. Your three hours is up."

"We're still here, General," said Wildstar as the _Argo _cruised along in formation near the Cometine Base World GG-1 escorted by the _Pavonia,_ the _Eriteria_, and the _Fashika._ "You figure it out."

"Okay, then, prepare to meet Death!" hissed Dalkon. He disappeared from the screen while the _Argo's_ main klaxons came up.

"Skipper, Captain Brazel indicates that he's in position," said Homer.

"All weapons armed and ready," said Domon.

"We're right on course," said Kitano.

"Enemy fleet approaching," said Becker. "Three carriers, three battleships, three missile cruisers, sixteen destroyers. They're coming in very fast from around the far side of the planet."

"That's where Brazel said the base was," said Sandor.

Wildstar nodded. "All hands," he said. "Prepare for combat!"

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	5. Chapter 5

**ALTERNATE TALES OF THE STAR FORCE**

**STAR BLAZERS****---****THE NET TIGHTENS **

**Being the fourth part of _THE NEW COMET_--- BY: Frederick P. Kopetz**

* * *

This Act is being completed with the Cooperation and Assistance of Derek A.C. Wakefield (as usual)---_Freddo_

* * *

**ACT FIVE: A RECKONING FOR ROTELLA**

* * *

**I. BATTLE**

**Space Battleship _Argo_**

**The Vicinity of Cometine Base GG-1**

**Deep Space: 80,000 Lightyears Away From Earth**

**Sunday June 8, 2206**

**1932 Hours: Earth Time**

* * *

"Enemy Fleet range, twenty-two megameters," said Becker from the Cosmo-Radar, "Captain, I've spotted another heavy carrier at the vanguard of the fleet, for a total of twenty-six ships spotted. It looks like they're beginning to launch planes."

"Black Tigers," said Wildstar. "Get ready to take off and attack: target, the enemy carriers. Keep those planes from launching!"

"Roguh that," said Hardy with a smile. "Tigers, take off and follow mah lead!"

The Black Tigers roared out of the _Argo_. Three squadrons, led by Hardy, blasted in to attack the Cometine carriers, while one cruised along with the _Argo_ herself to provide fighter cover.

Four Cometine destroyers warped in near the _Argo_ a moment later and opened fire, only to have fire returned by the Rotellan escorts under Captain Brazel. The Rotellans drew first blood as one Cometine vessel blew apart, followed by a second one as two Black Tigers pounced upon the enemy ship and blew it apart.

In the fast-paced battle, a remaining enemy destroyer fired upon the _Argo_, which took a minor hit near the bow. She responded with a salvo from her main guns that blew off three of the enemy destroyer's gun emplacements and left her smoking.

On his carrier, General Dalkon took a report from the commanding officer of the destroyer squadron. "What do you _mean_ you couldn't stop them from launching planes?"

"Sir, they responded too quickly, and the Rotellans have too heavy a screen around them! We lost two ships already, and my own ship is…."

Then, there came over Dalkon's speakers the clap of an explosion and a scream as the screen went dark. A klaxon began blowing a moment later on the bridge of the _Dekgavis_ as a Cometine officer yelled, "Enemy planes approaching our ship! They're in the heart of the fleet!"

"One missile cruiser destroyed!" yelled the comm officer. "The battleship _Pradis_ is also reporting she's under heavy fire from the _Argo_! She has destroyed one Rotellan ship, though, and she is returning fire!"

"Good!" said Dalkon as he laughed. "Keep up the fight and…get our planes launched!"

Outside, a Cometine maintenance vehicle worked in the elevator as a Scorpion was equipped and was being readied for takeoff. The vehicle pulled away, and the Cometine ship was ready to take off when two Earth planes screamed in like old naval dive bombers.

They attacked.

There was a great explosion out before his bridge windows and the lights on the bridge went dark as Dalkon stood in shock. "What's _happened_?"

"Forward elevator destroyed! A burning Earther plane plunged right into it!" yelled an officer as the emergency lights came back up.

"Damn the Star Force!" yelled Dalkon. "Continue preparing to launch from the aft elevator! We're launching if I have to shove the cursed planes out _myself_!"

* * *

"Not bad," said Jefferson Hardy with an evil grin as he approached the _Dekgavis_ from above from over her stern. "There's laser fire, but, so what? I can take them out! Okay, boys!" he yelled to his wingmen. "Full military power! I don't want anything left o' that theh carriah after we're done!" 

His wingmen responded, and Hardy pushed his stick forward along with his throttle. He locked his missiles on the aft elevator just as the first Scorpion was being raised at last to the burning _Dekgavis'_ flight deck for launch.

The Scorpion never took off as two missiles were pumped into it, and the carrier elevator. The plane, its crew, and the elevator blew apart in a fatal flower of flame. At the van of the fleet, the Tigers attacked and blew apart the heavy carrier at the rear of the fleet. Brazel's fleet now only had three carriers left.

Hardy smiled, and he altered his course slightly as his plane and his wingmen flew past the dying _Dekgavis'_ bridge island, facing the bow. At the bow, they turned around, shot up the gun emplacements on the bow, and then flew straight towards the bridge.

On the bridge, the mad Dalkon screamed defiance as he saw his death coming right towards his face while his bridge crew ran like rats, abandoning the bridge. A moment later, he yelled "DAMN YOU!" as blue bursts of energy fire flew from the planes of Hardy and his wingmen straight through space, through his windows, and into his body, causing a momentary feeling of hot pain before he was literally carved into five bloody pieces and splattered against the aft bulkhead of his own bridge.

Hardy and his flight were long gone as his leering, severed head bounced to the deck like a basketball before it was consumed in a bright ball of fusion energy even before explosive decompression could blow his remains into space as the _Dekgavis_ blew itself to bits and flaming debris. The enemy flagship's bright, gruesome death blew apart the two remaining light carriers, and the death of the carriers even took two Cosmo Tigers who couldn't escape the fireball along with them.

Hardy smiled as he looked over the holocaust, saluting for a moment as he then recalled the comrades who had died in the fireball. He flicked on his radio and said, "Wildstah, this is Hardy! We lost six Tigahs, but we destroyed all the enemy carriers. Elapsed time, nineteen minutes!"

"Okay," said Wildstar. "Return to base, Hardy…your mission's accomplished."

The remaining twenty-eight planes of his first three squadrons swung up and over the Cometine fleet as long-range space naval gun fire from the _Argo_ and the two remaining Rotellan ships began to roar in, picking off the other Cometine vessels ship-to-ship.

The enemy missile ships continued to attack, firing a large salvo of their short-range missiles towards the _Argo_. The salvo could only be described as hellish.

Missiles flew towards the _Argo_, which took damage but sat steadfast as Captain Brazel's two ships also took damage but helped to shield her.

"Ten ships remaining!" said Becker. "Two space battleships, two cruisers, six destroyers!"

Wildstar said, "Domon, have the gunners prepare wave motion cartridges. This has been going on for too long; I want to attack that base!"

"Yessir!" said Domon.

A few minutes of pounding elapsed as the heavy shells were loaded into the _Argo's_ main guns.

Finally, Domon said, "Wave motion cartridges loaded!"

"Open fire," snapped Wildstar.

The _Argo_ blasted three salvoes from her three main turrets. The missiles flew towards the enemy fleet, and they plunged right into the enemy space battleships. They blew apart, followed by the missile cruisers. Only one destroyer survived the holocaust, and that was by warping away in a cowardly fashion.

Finally, the battered _Argo_ was done…but she was just done with the fleet.

"Mister Kitano?" said Wildstar as Hardy ran up onto the first bridge.

"Yessir!?" he said.

"Captain Brazel has given us the coordinates for the enemy base. Take us there, helmsman. We still have some work to do before we can rest tonight."

"Yessir," said Kitano with a mad grin.

* * *

**II. FIGHTING WITHIN THE COMETINE EMPIRE**

**Planet Melezart**

**The Vicinity of Cometine Base GG-1**

**Deep Space: 80,000 Lightyears Away From Earth**

**Sunday June 8, 2206**

**2019 Hours: Earth Time**

* * *

"Do you notice what I've noticed?" said a Cometine slave on the surface of the planet on which Cometine Base GG-1 (which was also known as Gamma-Gamma One) lay.

"I've noticed it," said one of the slaves. "Most of our guards have just taken off. Only one guard is left over here by our part of the rock pit."

"Let's have a talk with that guard, shall we?" said the old man, who was known as Brigard. "Malus, you threaten him with a rock and make him talk. This is weird."

"It's dangerous," whispered the barefoot slave. He, like the others, was working in a quarry inside a Cometine work camp near the edge of their occupied capital. The sprawling Cometine base, a two-days' walk away was an arrogant construction that towered about ninety kilometers away in the distance across the plain. Still, even the Cometine guards stopped what they were doing and they watched as streams of fire roared up from the base.

Brigard and Malus nodded to each other. They got two rocks and smashed the nearest Cometine guard in the head. As he fell, Malus took his blaster and he shot apart the chains that hobbled his ankles and old Brigard's ankles.

Another Cometine guard ran up, but Malus shot his weapon out of his hand. Then, he pointed the weapon at the green trooper's head and said, "Okay, damn you, TALK! Where are most of the guards?"

"Have mercy!"

"You've had none upon us!" hissed Brigard as he put a fallen combat knife to the guard's throat. "Talk, damn you, or I'll cut your accursed throat out! How come most of the detail has left us alone like this?"

"The great base is under attack and they were called back home to its defense," hissed the Cometine trooper. "We expect a great battle but we expect we can drive the enemy away in due course with little casualties. Let me live, and I'll put in a good word for you so you won't be executed when my commanders come back!"

"All right…." He said. "I'll let you live…if you allow us to be set free."

"Okay," hissed the trooper. He was an officer here at the labor camp. He said into his helmet communicator, "All remaining forces; this is Hagan. Free the slaves. Repeat; let the labor units go free. We'll tell Granlatz that our slaves rebelled, but we…"

A shot rang out from Malus' blaster. A startled Lt. Hagan fell dead to the ground. Malus took his weapon and gave it to Brigard as the rebellion spread amongst the labor camp as even more slaves fought back. "Not bad, eh, Brigard?" said Malus.

"I've been waiting for this for a long time," said the old man as he clapped another freshly armed slave on the back. "You, Maigar…go open the women's barracks. Kill the Cometines who were keeping the women captive…for their base, disgusting purposes as "comfort troops" and then make sure the women are clothed, freed, _and_ armed."

"Of course, Brigard."

* * *

Deep inside Cometine base GG-1, klaxon after klaxon went off as many troopers ran to their places. "The first and third missile batteries are armed and ready!" said an officer to Marshal Hirgel, the officer who had taken over command of the base from Lieutenant General Dalkon when he had left on his last mission with the fleet. "We're preparing our interceptors, and we're beginning to track the _Argo_ and the two Rotellan corvettes. Should we hit them first with long-range missiles, or interceptors?" 

"Long-range missiles, of course," said Hirgel with a laughing snort. "It's too bad we don't have any antimatter missiles left…a pity that Dalkon took them with him to his grave. Still, we must use what we have left. And ready the guard fleet! How hard can it be to bring down one space battleship?"

"Lordship, they say the _Argo_ is like a force of nature, or even a ghost ship. They say you cannot kill it."

"I can," laughed Hirgel. "Kernag, what is it?"

"Twenty-eight planes spotted coming in at high speed! They seem to be the Earthers! They got the jump on us!"

"WHAT?" roared Hirgel. "How could they _launch _so quickly, let alone replenish in such a…?"

"All right," said Hardy as he focused upon the enemy base in his gunsights. "Black Tigers, here we _go!_"

A moment later, his planes dived down from the edge of the atmosphere down towards the enemy base at very high speed. As they roared in, they fired salvo after salvo of missiles at the enemy base, blowing apart hangars, missile emplacements, and enemy planes on the tarmac, almost everything they could find.

Only a few Cometine ships got off the ground to do battle with the Cosmo Tigers, but in a few minutes, although Hardy had lost three more pilots, much of the enemy base above ground was a smoking, blazing ruin, to the utter shock of Hirgel down in his bunker.

"What do we do?" muttered Hirgel.

"Sir, it is my suggestion that we prepare for evacuation," said one of Hirgel's officers.

"Perhaps…we can fight on..." said Hirgel. "Perhaps…"

Hirgel turned. "No. You are right. Prepare the carrier _Vargansha_. We will take off now! Perhaps I can salvage something of this."

"You'd run _now_?" said another officer.

"Yes, so we can fight another day," said Hirgel. He turned and left.

"We will prepare to evacuate," said Hirgel as Hardy's Tigers roared back towards base, their mission again accomplished. Hardy and the Black Tigers would fly no more today, but they had certainly done their jobs, and done them well.

* * *

Hirgel's carrier took off and cruised over the planet. "Enemy carrier task force off our starboard bow!" said Becker. "They came up from the base?" 

"Where are they coming from?" hissed Wildstar.

"They're not making any move towards us," said Sandor as he looked at the image that had come up on the video panel of the _Argo_. "I think maybe they're running from…"

"Missiles approachin'!" yelled Eager. "Big wave of missiles comin!"

"Eighty missiles," said Becker. "It's a widely dispersed wave, five minutes to impact, and…"

"Now's the time, Domon. Stop all engines. Ready the wave motion gun!" snapped Wildstar.

Before long, the crew had on their goggles. "Two minutes to firing!" said Wildstar from his post at the Captain's command station. He nodded as Domon took over the checklist from there, competently going through all of the necessary steps while Becker sweated at the approach of the incoming wave of missiles.

"One minute to impact!" cried Becker. "Missiles at twenty megameters' distance!"

"One minute to firing," snapped Domon. "All hands prepare for recoil shock."

"Energy level, eighty percent," said Yamazaki from his post.

"Thirty seconds to firing" said Domon as the characteristic whine sped up. Finally, the final countdown began. When Domon reached zero, Wildstar snapped "FIRE!" and Domon responded, yelling "FIRE!" as he worked the firing trigger.

Becker began to sweat as she could finally see the missiles roaring in, but, soon, everything was obliterated in a blur of flaming light as a burst of energy roared out of the huge firing gate in the _Argo's_ bow. A blast of energy roared down to the planet down towards Cometine Base GG-1, obliterating the base, obliterating the equipment that Hirgel had left behind, obliterating the ships and planes he had left behind, and even obliterating the thousands of lower-ranking Cometine troops he had left behind.

Of course, all of the missiles had been obliterated, too.

Wildstar took a long, deep breath. "Well, we're done," he said as a disbelieving Becker scanned down to the base and said, "We finished off that entire base, sir?"

"We sure did," said Wildstar. "You can see that mushroom cloud. They're finished."

"No Cometine signals detected from the planet," said Homer. "I think they're gone," he said. "They must have been localized around that one huge base that we just…"

"Blew to Kingdom Come," said Eager with a smile.

IQ 9.7 said, "I detect many, many life signs from the planet, however. There are humans alive down there. _Many_ humans. I am doing calculations to see if we condemned them to death via tachyonic radiation sickness. Congratulations, Commodore Wildstar. It appears that you are very efficient in committing genocide."

"So…it was…inhabitated," said Sandor. "Wildstar, I hope we didn't harm any innocent people with the wave motion gun. You remember how Captain Avatar always said that we had to be careful about using its great power…for just that reason."

Wildstar bowed his head. "I know, Sandor. Maybe I shouldn't have ordered the Gun to be fired if I knew there were innocent people on that planet. But, we didn't know, did we?"

"Not until now," said Sandor, who looked very troubled as the _Argo_ and the Rotellan ships cruised through the atmosphere down towards an ocean. There was a large, partly ruined city by the seacoast, and in the distance, a mushroom cloud had formed at the point where Cometine Base GG-1 had been.

"Hmm…" said Sandor. "This is odd, Wildstar. The architectural style of some of those buildings looks familiar…I wonder who could have built that city?"

"Or…who ruined it?" said Wildstar. "There are fires burning in the distance…see? I hope we didn't cause those…"

"Homer," said Wildstar. "Contact Captain Brazel…see if he can contact…any of the local inhabitants…see if…"

Then, unexpectedly, the _Argo's_ screen came up. An old man appeared on it.

"Hello," he said. "Is this the space battleship that just attacked the Cometine Base?"

"Yes, it is," said Wildstar. "I am Commodore Derek Wildstar, commander of the space battleship _Argo_, from the planet Earth…"

"The same ship that aided Trelaina of Telezart in killing Zordar…" said the old man with a smile.

"How do you know of Trelaina?" said Wildstar, stunned.

"We have many means of knowing of her. You see, on this planet, we are distant cousins of the race that founded Telezart. Before the Comet Empire conquered this world, we were known as The Republic of Melezart, and NOT Cometine Base World Gamma-Gamma One. We were founded long ago by colonists from Telezart, and we had contact and commerce with many worlds before the Comet Empire came. We knew of Miss Trelaina because a very few survivors of the civil war that she stopped with her mind-energy fled here. But we do not blame Trelaina for having unwittingly used her power to stop the war, any more than we can blame you for having used your power to stop the slavery and rape of our world. The Cometines had built their base inside an ancient crater for defensive purposes, a crater behind a mesa. That mesa will keep most of the fallout from harming our city or its suburbs. We are grateful to you for your efforts. Until a few hours ago, we were enslaved by the Cometines in a labor camp. My name is Conciel Brigard. I was once a member of this world's Parliament before the Comet Empire came."

"If the prevailing winds don't blow much over the city in the next hour, they should be safe," said Sandor. "The radioactive byproducts of our tachyonic reactions, luckily, have very short half-lives."

"Thank you for helping to…ease our minds," said Wildstar. "But how do you know of this?"

"It is easy," said Brigard with a benign smile. "Our knowledge goes beyond our city area…for a good reason…"

"What is that reason?" said Wildstar.

"Trelaina of Telezart…or her spirit…appeared to us just a short while ago. She told us to tell you not to feel excessive guilt over what you had to do to help in bringing an end to Princess Invidia's evil for us."

"Trelaina _appeared_ to you?" said a stunned Wildstar.

"She did," said Brigard. "And she also had a message for you, specifically, Commodore Wildstar."

"It was?" said Derek.

"_Help these people_," said Brigard. "We need food, medical care and supplies, humanitarian aid. She asks you to provide them for us."

"And we will do so," said Wildstar. "Kitano, take us down towards the ocean and the dockyards of the city. Homer, contact Captain Brazel and tell him that we will be landing. And then…contact the Commander. We need to tell him what happened here today…and about Trelaina's request for aid. Trelaina," he said softly. "It is incredible to know that you could still be helping to, in your own fashion, protect others…"

A pensive Wildstar shut his eyes as the _Argo_ cruised down towards the seas of Melezart.

* * *

**III. INVIDIA'S DISGRACE…**

**The _Eritz Gatlantis_**

**Deep Space: 90,000 Lightyears Away From Earth**

**Wednesday June 11, 2206**

**1300 Hours: Earth Time**

* * *

The New Comet sped through space even as Princess Invidia slapped Field Marshal Hirgel across the face. "You IDIOT!" she screamed. "How could you and General Dalkon have lost Base World Gamma Gamma One like that? And you had the temerity to RUN back here with your carrier rather than stand and fight the Star Force?"

"Lady, I thought you needed the report. The Star Force is being aided by supernatural powers! Trelaina of Telezart…"

"Do not speak of her…she is DEAD," hissed General Dyre. "She killed herself for good when she died with Prince Zordar. How could _anyone_ survive great explosion like that?"

"But I _saw_ Trelaina," insisted Hirgel as he held out his hands pleadingly to Invidia, Dyre, and Gorse, and to Field Marshal Balkal, who were witnesses of what was appearing to be his field court-martial in Invidia's throne room.

"Did she come out of a bottle of Rikashan Ale?" snapped Balkal. "You always were a fool, Hirgel. So was Dalkon! At least Dalkon atoned for his sins to the Princess and the Grand Emperor by dying in battle. You will have no such chance," said Balkal as he looked at Invidia. She nodded as he then began to undo his blaster.

"NO! Mercy! I can tell you what Trelaina said! She prophesied doom to us unless you leave Earth alone, she said…" gasped Hirgel.

A moment later, Balkal hissed, "Go and finish your talk with Trelaina…in _Hell_!" A shot rang out, and Hirgel fell dead with a huge hole in his chest.

"Troopers, get _rid _of this," snapped Invidia as she kicked at the corpse. Four blue-clad troopers saluted and dragged the body off. "I'm not giving up Earth because some ghost told me to," snapped Invidia. "Dyre, what was that report you had?"

"Yes, Princess. Balkal and I have the latest operation Fleet figures for House Gatlantis for the past twelvedays' worth of operations. Princess, our total losses have not been nice to consider. And with the loss of those mines and shipyards on Gamma Gamma One, they will get worse."

"So, recapture Gamma-Gamma One," said Invidia. "The only people holding it are the Star Force."

"Princess, it isn't just _them_," said Gorse. "The Rotellans helped the _Argo_ take Gamma-Gamma One from us, and they also helped them by destroying Automated Base F-7. Also, Earth sent out a call for help; forces of the Rikashans _and_ the Gamilons are now in the system, helping the people of what used to be the damned Republic of Melezart free themselves. Melezart, it seems, has signed an alliance with the Government in Exile from Rotella. We'd have many twelvedays' worth of fighting now to dislodge them. Just like we're having with Rotella. We have been trying to win there for close to a _year_ now, and have just been stuck in the mud. We never anticipated that they would put up a resistance like this. One way or the other, Princess, we are bogged down in this sector. And the rebellion is spreading!"

"Yes. There is virus growing in the Rotella Sector called freedom and rebellion," said General Dyre.

"How many ships do we need to stamp this out?" roared Invidia as she snapped her wooden pointer in rage. "Or should we just smash Gamma-Gamma One…or Rotella…with the Comet?"

"Princess, we have lost over eight hundred ships since we began operations again against Earth and Gamilon over a year ago."

"I know that!" hissed Invidia. "What of the requests you sent to Prince Kazar of House Kolog, Prince Sarak of House Dinarda, and Duchess Viga of House Octlan for more men and ships?"

"Those requests…were denied…by Higher Authority," said Dyre as he wondered if he was going to be shot next. "What is worse…the Grand Emperor himself has somehow heard of these requests. He demands that you make contact with him to report to him face-to-face about the War."

"NO!" yelled Invidia as she dropped her stick…in fear… "It is not Viceroy Savel I am to contact?"

"No. It is the sublime, High Emperor himself. It is his _command_," said Dyre.

Invidia nodded and left.

* * *

The High Emperor of the Cometine Empire was a mysterious priest-god-king who was held to be an incarnation of the Goddess Arishna's genius to the Cometine people. Few Cometines ever met him face-to-face or saw his face in any way, shape, or form, since he usually spoke through his Grand Viceroy, the Lady Savel. 

Invidia knelt in a dark communications room before a holographic screen, and all she saw of His Lordship were two glowing red eyes as she made contact with the Homeworld deep within the Andromeda Galaxy. She had never been, within her memory, to the Homeworld, and even her father had told her that he had only had two audiences before the Emperor himself in his long lifetime as a great Prince of the Empire. Invidia herself had only spoken to the Grand Viceroy twice, so she felt great fear as she cleared her throat to speak to His Lordship.

"Your Highness, I am Princess Invidia, your must humble servant, I…"

"You are the daughter of Zordar," rumbled a deep voice. "Even I have heard of your reputation. Loth was I to grant you the Throne of Gatlantis by Imperial Warrant. Although I know that your victories are great, your reach exceeds your grasp."

"Lordship, I am pleased to hear that you admire me, and…"

"SILENCE! Who said to thee that my words were words of Admiration, _Invidia?_. I met your father twice. He was a wise man. He took five years to plan the Invasion of the Milky Way. I decorated him face-to-face once for his conquests. I do not decorate my vassals for _losses_."

"What is your command?" said Invidia.

"Your toadying and scheming requests to Houses Kolog, Dinarda, and Octlan for more vessels for your campaigns was denied by me when the Viceroy presented it to me. You are to secure the Rotellan Sector and you are to sign an Armistice with Gamilon and the Terrans and those allied with them and bring an end to all fighting in your area within three years and then consolidate what you have taken in your valiant father's memory, to be sure it does not slip from your grasp and disgrace Us amongst our slaves."

"Lord! Are we giving up the war of vengeance upon Earth? Upon Gamilon? They have mocked you, Lord? They have…"

"They were and always will be a part of the Empire. Even with your shortened lifespan as a bastard daughter of a slave concubine of Zordar's who slept her way to the top of her pustulant little House, you should live long enough to conquer Earth and Gamilon within three to four years after we lull them into thinking we have peace and good relations. Then, you will attack again when they least suspect it, when you have thousands upon thousands of vessels, and then you shall destroy their fleets and then safely enslave their home worlds with the _Eritz Gatlantis_. They will not live in freedom. They will become our slaves. That is my warrant."

"Yes, Lord," said Invidia as she bowed. With a trembling voice, she said, "Your wish…is my…command."

She shut her eyes and bowed her head as the image faded, Then, she wept. _Curse this_, she thought. _How can I defend the memory of Father if I have to make peace with those bastards?_

And in her mind, she began to scheme…again…she knew there had to be a way to make things go _her_ way…but how would she do it?

Then she rose with a smile. In her mind, she was beginning to formulate a plan…a little plan of her own for Earth and the Gamilons….

* * *

**IV. REBUILDING AT MELEZART**

**Space Battleship _Argo_**

**Planet Melezart**

**The Vicinity of the Capital City**

**Deep Space: 80,000 Lightyears Away From Earth**

**Friday July 25, 2206**

* * *

Commodore Derek Wildstar was visiting Doctor Sane as several nurses brought in sick and wounded people from Melezart who were being worked on in the _Argo's_ Sickbay. 

"What amazes me is how many people the Comet Empire seem to have starved," said Doctor Sane as he adjusted his glasses.

"I wish Nova was here. She would love to be helping these people," said Wildstar.

"I don't know," said Sane. "Knowing what I've seen, it would probably be close to breaking her heart. They were working people and starving them to death. Just the way the ancient dictatorships on Earth used to treat their enemies…"

"And just the way the Josiahites treated theirs, more recently," said Derek as he bowed his head.

"We do what we can, here," said Sane. "It is good that Desslok sent that General Fraken there to help us and that Lord Cha'rif sent that Rikashan commander named Givantis. Even though I trust neither of them," said Doctor Sane with a whisper.

A moment later, they saw General Givantis, the Rikashan commander on the scene, coming into Sickbay. "Wildstar," he said, putting his hands over his fat stomach as he spoke in his raspy voice. "I trust you are making good use of the supplies that Lord Anton Cha'rif sent you?"

"We are, General, thank you. Why are you here?"

"I still wish to nail down the location of where we are going to put our base. It is a simple, and reasonable, _quid pro quo_, Commodore."

"I told you, we have no influence there," said Wildstar. "You will have to talk to the Provisional Parliament of Melezart for that."

"That means talking to Brigard. _You_ have influence over him, Commodore. And over Fraken."

"It is a good thing that the Melezartians are agreeing to _any_ of us building bases here after what they suffered under Invidia's forces," said Wildstar.

"Please talk to them," said the balding Givantis with an acid smile as he tweaked his thin mustache, which stood out in sharp relief against his sallow orange face and black eye patch. "It is my hope and Cha'rif's that we can keep this _peaceful_. Good day, Wildstar."

Sane glared at the Rikashan's back as he left. "You see why I don't trust him," he said.

Wildstar nodded. "I'm going to have to talk to Cha'rif again. Maybe to Desslok. I hate being a diplomat," he said. "Oh, I know there are times when one has to be, but…"

"You're longing for the opportunity to tell Givantis exactly what you think of him?" said Sane.

Derek nodded.

"So am I…" said Sane as he motioned Wildstar over and poured a glass of sake for his skipper and for himself. "So am I."

"Did you notice that he…uh…?" said Wildstar.

"Yes," said Sane. "The man _smells_."

* * *

In the meantime, on Earth, Sasha returned to the Space Fighters' Training School at last. She was now a Midshipman Second Class, and, as such, she was now in her third year at the Academy. 

She pulled on her new sky-blue and white cadet uniform for the first time and felt an odd sense of foreboding about it as she looked at herself in the mirror of her room in the dorm_. I sense,_ she thought, _that I will soon surpass this cadet rank but be wearing this uniform for a very long time._

Then, as she pulled on her boots, Sasha shivered and said to herself, "Why the heck does it feel like I'm putting on my wedding dress? I can't be anywhere near getting married…Deke…poor thing…is so worried about the war and doesn't write much…probably getting shot at every day…but I'm so worried about him…I wonder if the scuttlebutt is true…and we'll be graduating sometime in May on an advanced schedule….Oh, heck, who am I talking to, anyway? The wall?"

Sasha threw down her hairbrush, sat in a chair before her mirror, and sighed. She then continued to speak out loud, "It is a bit odd that I am even here at the Academy this time of year. But I was selected as an Honor Representative because of my high grades. That's funny. I will begin teaching plebes next week NOT to cheat, lie, steal, nor tolerate those who do and what do I live? I live a damned lie every day of my life since I have to keep my real identity hidden under the name "Sasha Petrovsky."" She looked at her false name on the nametag of one of the fatigue outfits she had worn on training maneuvers this summer, and she felt like spitting upon it.

Then, Sasha looked in the mirror, and her heart nearly stopped when she realized that she wasn't the only person in the room. The other party in the room wore a long royal-blue dress, had long platinum-blonde hair, and she was gleaming just slightly.

Sasha turned around to be confronted with Trelaina of Telezart as her internal psi-meters all pegged the "red" mark. "You're dead," she said. "I don't normally hold conversations with dead people."

"It all depends upon by how you define 'dead'," said Trelaina with a smile. "I have surpassed some of the needs of being mortal, if you ask, but I still have much to learn. Even you do not understand, but you just stand on the threshold of a world filled with both angels and terrors, great things both Seen and Unseen."

"Did _Mother_ send you?" said Sasha bitterly.

"She has been watching over you and she has prayed for guidance, you could say. I was bidden to come here to answer her prayer since there is much concerning Derek Wildstar, Mark Venture, your Aunt Nova, Deke, and some of my people that concerns me greatly. But, in response to these questions of yours, you will only have to wait a little while longer before you have that which you desire; that being adventure and romance. But, be warned…both of these things are double-edged swords. The same fire that illuminates your night can also burn you badly if you are not cautious. So, take care, Sasha."

"So, what are you saying?" said Sasha.

"Be patient, just a little while longer, and you will see your dreams and wishes becoming manifest. But, be warned, because these wishes come with a measure of pain…be ready for the bitter, as well as for the sweet, Sasha of Iscandar…"

Before Sasha could answer, the form of Trelaina had vanished.

"Now, that was weird," muttered Sasha to herself. "And every sense of mine was going off like a shock cannon or something. I need to think about this…really, _really_ think…"

* * *

**V. CONTINUED TERROR…**

**The Vicinity of Alpha Centauri**

**Space Battleship _Arizona_**

**Saturday, August 2, 2206**

**0830 Hours: Earth Time**

* * *

Deke Wakefield was back in combat in his Cosmo Tiger with Brew and his other wingman, a pilot known as Ensign Dave Simon, flying at each side of him. Due to attrition (the death of Hollingsfield in a horrible battle a week ago), Deke was now the leader of his flight. Indeed, due to attrition, the _Arizona's_ Flight Group was now down to twenty-nine planes.

_Nineteen pilots dead,_ thought Deke with a sad nod to himself. _And, still, the green bastards keep on coming to attack our base, or to attack the ships going back and forth between the base and the solar system and other places. Where do they get all of these ships from…all these subs…all these destroyers, all these missile ships?_ he thought as he locked onto the bridge tower of a Cometine space sub that had just appeared from subspace. It fired its torpedoes at the distant _Arizona_, but when Wakefield came up on its six and fired two missiles, there were no more torpedoes for it to fire.

"Okay," said Wakefield, a little surprised at how the Tiger had become a part of him over the past few weeks, "Three more bogies at nine-o-clock…Cometine destroyers. Brew, Simey, follow my lead. We'll get them from behind _their_ damned six!"

"Roger that," said Simon.

"Gotcha, Deke," said Brew.

The flight flew towards the enemy ships like one entity, three planes and their crews all locked in sync, all working perfectly towards one goal.

The Cometines stumbled in firing their first round and beginning their 180-degree turn. That was all the time Deke and his pilots needed to pump their remaining missiles into the enemy ships and evade their fire. A moment later, there were no more Cometine destroyers in their area.

"Return to base!" snapped Conroy over Deke's headset.

"Roger," said Wakefield. "Okay, people, we're going back home…" They began to roar back towards the ship. One minute passed. Two minutes passed.

A Cometine battleship warped in several hundred kilometers behind them, and for a moment, Deke started, but he took a deep breath as a blast of energy from the _Arizona__'s_ guns roared in and blew it to pieces.

"Nice job, Rosstowski," said Deke in a low voice.

* * *

"I hate to break up your flight," said Conroy later on as he spoke to Wakefield, Simon, and Marrable, "But we lost Miss Hammond today in Bravo Flight. Mister Marrable, you'll be taking her place as Bravo Flight Leader the next time we go out." 

"Thank you, sir," said a surprised Brew.

"You earned it by your flying and your kills, Mister," said Conroy as he clapped Brew on the back. "Just like your friend here. Wakefield, I'm giving you Mister Venable as your new wingman for Dog Flight. He's a good guy."

"I know, sir," said Wakefield.

"I looked over your reports…good work," said Conroy. "Unless we have a call for "All Sun Tigers on deck", you guys are relieved until eighteen hundred. Get some chow and some rest."

Deke's squadron broke up and headed out of the flight bay. _Boy, do I need some rest_, thought Deke. _I've been flying since midnight. Sometimes these rotating shifts are crazy, man, crazy…_

* * *

**VI. INVIDIA'S BITTER VICTORY…**

**The _Eritz Gatlantis_**

**The Vicinity of Planet Rotella**

**79,500 Lightyears away from Earth**

**Saturday, August 7, 2206**

**1200 Hours: Earth Time**

* * *

"What is the word from Hemlitz, the so-called 'President-in-Exile' of the Rotellans?" demanded Invidia as she stood in her throne room. It was now "X-Hour", the moment which Baron Gernitz had waited for for a very long time. He was waiting inside the _Eritz Gatlantis_ with a massive fleet of about a hundred vessels, waiting for the word to sweep out and commence his final attack upon Rotella; the one that would wipe much of the planet clean of resistance. The one that would win that part of the war.

But, embittered, Invidia had other plans. Her patience had about run out.

"Hemlitz refuses to surrender, Priincess," said Dyre. "He says he is gathering all forces together for a great assault."

Invidia laughed at that. "If he thinks he means he will get the accursed Star Force, Gamilons, and Rikashans to help him, he is _wrong_."

"You won't stand and fight, ma'am?" asked Gorse. "This is the chance for the decisive battle we have been waiting for, all these months…"

"If we lose, the regional Governors will laugh at us," hissed Invidia. "I am making sure we will NOT LOSE! Gernitz, stop the attack!"

"What, ma'am?" he said from the bridge of his flagship.

"Control room, intensify the Comet Field to FULL POWER!" snapped Invidia.

"Aye, aye, order received, Princess!" snapped an operator in the _Eritz Gatlantis'_ huge control bridge as the huge ship roared onwards. "Course and speed?"

"Full speed, to NTO-225. ADVANCE!" howled Invidia as a course intersect came right up on the massive screen in the throne room below the command officers' boots. Invidia clenched her fists and began to laugh as the command staff realized what was happening.

"You're crushing Rotella?" asked Gorse.

The mad light in Invidia's eyes above her crazed smile spoke for itself. "They have resisted me too long," screamed Invidia. "The Empire will learn the price that traitors must pay. I should have taken full comand long ago. It was foolish of me to have left this to others! Now, we go ahead to victory, and I pray I can do this to Gamilon and Earth soon!"

"Shouldn't you at least give them a few minutes' notice to evacuate?" demanded Dyre. "Even _we_ should show some mercy and grant some of them asylum as Zordar…"

Invidia slapped Dyre across the face. "ENOUGH! Any more and off comes your head! I don't care that we slept together, Dyre! Now, I am the ruler!"

An impersonal voice from below said, "Two minutes to contact with Rotella, Princess. We are already picking up growth, matter, and human beings from the planet and consuming them within the Comet."

Gernitz said, "Hemlitz is pleading for mercy. He says he will abdicate."

"Shut him up," snapped Invidia. "Full screen _on_," she said as she watched Rotella shadowed in the light of her Death Comet. "I want the best view possible of the planet breaking up."

* * *

The _Argo_ was in a routine orbital patrol near Melezart with Fraken, Givantis, and Captain Brazel of Rotella aboard as observers when an officer on the Second Bridge picked up a bright light in space five hundred lightyears away. "Radio Telescope unit to Commander Sandor." 

"This is Sandor. What is it?"

"We're picking up a massive light in space about five hundred lightyears away, at NTO-225," he said. Captain Brazel clenched his fists as soon as he heard the coordinates and saw the plot coming up on the _Argo's_ astro-compass. "We also read a strong energy source; not as strong as that of the Technomugar Fortress, but four times stronger than the Comet Empire City from 2201."

"Put the transmission up on video," said Wildstar. "Captain Brazel…what's…?"

"It's in the Rotellan System. It's right near my home planet."

"What?" said Eager.

"Video panel, switch on," said Becker in flat tones very much unlike the grave tones that Nova would use at a moment like this.

"Gods forgive us," muttered Fraken as he beheld the monstrosity.

"The White Comet!" barked Givantis.

"No," said Wildstar. "It's even worse. It's Zordar's evil brought back to life again.

Brazel forced himself to look as he could see Rotella in the evil shine of the New Comet. It was only there for a moment.

Then, it broke into pieces, which swirled into the Comet's vortex, and then were gone.

Captain Brazel looked on, and then he banged his fists against Becker's panel. "MY WIFE!" he screamed. "MY CHILDREN! MY FAMILY! ALL GONE!"

To everyone's shock, he grabbed his own sidearm and shot himself in the head before he could be stopped. He made sure the shot would be fatal.

"Wildstar," said Fraken. "We'll intercept them…you'll have my fleet…I'll call Desslok…"

"You have my fleet, I will call Lord Cha'rif," said Givantis as he clapped Wildstar on the back. "We can rid the universe of this evil…now, and once and for…"

"All hands," said Wildstar as he activated his klaxons. "All hands to combat stations…all hands to combat stations…our target…the NEW COMET!"

"We know how to stop them this time, Wildstar," said Sandor. "First the Comet Field…"

"Then we attack at the bottom," said Fraken.

"And then we wave-motion gun them to dust in just a.." said Domon. Then, he looked up, and his eyes went wide as the New Comet disappeared.

"What?" said Wildstar.

"They've warped," said Becker. "I'll try to get their intercept course…"

"Hit…and run?" hissed Fraken.

An enraged Wildstar then looked up at empty space and screamed out what they all felt as he bellowed, "**COWARDS!**"

"I don't have an intercept course," said Becker. "They warped into a nebula…and…the course ends there…I…"

"It's all right," said Wildstar. "You did your best."

And, at that, the War escalated up to a new stage as everyone realized that, like her father Zordar before her, Princess Invidia had just joined the society of mass murderers…

* * *

**END.**


End file.
